The Invasion of Sol
by Mokuseino Tenka
Summary: The peace of the Sol System is shattered like a rock through glass. An army means to invade the system, but two shadows go ahead and strip the system of it's leaders.
1. Alarm Risen on Kaiousei

**Chapter 1**

The blue clouds of Kaiousei swirled around with the elegance and grace of those born of its line. It was these clouds that mesmerized Thalassa on a daily basis. The youngest of the royal family of Kaiousei could often only be quieted by the flow of the planet's clouds. Not much older than an infant, Thalassa was already bewildering her family. They saw a great future for her. Queen Eris of Kasei, a branch of the main family of Suisei from which Kaiousei, too, came from, had spoken mildly of the young princess' future. She had never spoken of the other princesses, Nereid and Neptune, nor had she spoken of Prince Triton. However, Eris had spoken mildly of the subject, and she was cryptic at that. So while her mother and father still pondered it, they ceased to speak of it.

On this day, the oldest princess Nereid had been responsible for Thalassa. Thalassa, however, had become a bother with her incessant crying, and so the eldest princess had left the young girl in her chair to stare out of the castle window to the great blue marble that they circled. Unlike the kingdoms of Suisei, Kinsei, Kasei, Meiousei, Earth, and the Moon, Kaiousei's kingdoms were not located on the planet's surface. Most of the planet was merely a mass of blue clouds swirling in a waltz all their own. And so, like Mokusei, Dosei, and Tennousei, Kaiousei's kingdom resided on one of the satellites that circled the planet loyally.

"Come along Thalassa." The little princess broke her gaze at the clouds to look at her second sister, Neptune. Even though Thalassa was but a child and could not speak, she still had thoughts and opinions of her own. In her opinion, Neptune was the better sister. Thalassa eagerly reached out for her sister and was rewarded with one of Neptune's sweet, beautiful, songlike laughs. While Neptune, herself, was still naught but a child she seemed so much more mature and graceful that Nereid, or even their mother.

Thalassa giggled at the thought of her mother and then proceeded to try and chew of Neptune's wavy locks of sea-like hair. Neptune didn't protest it, for she knew it would be a pointless fight. With a soft smile, she left the playroom and proceeded down the hall to the gardens. From the gardens she went to the schooling room. Triton and Nereid were already there. Triton reached out for his youngest sister, but the little girl clung to Neptune. Triton recoiled with a hurt expression. "Well how to you like that?" he said, "My little sister doesn't like me."

"She just needs her 'Neptune Time,' Triton," Nereid said. "That's just how she is."

"You're just jealous because she likes me better than she does you," Triton said childishly with a wide grin.

"I am not jealous!" Nereid insisted.

"That's enough you two," Neptune said. "You'll scare Thalassa. Anyway, it doesn't matter because she likes me better than both of you." Neptune and Triton laughed together as Nereid turned away. Thalassa laughed, too, but found herself more interested in chewing on Neptune's hair.

Their laughter was soon interrupted when their mother, Queen Larissa, burst into the room. Knit brows and pale skin obstructed the queen's usual grace and beauty. "Children, come," she said in a calm manner that seemed forced, "You four are to go to the safe room. Triton, I want you to stay with your sisters."

"Mother, what is wrong?" Triton asked as he stood.

"It may be nothing," the queen said. "I don't want to take a chance. Please do as I said." Triton and Nereid nodded. They and Neptune proceeded to the safe room. It had windows with bars and the walls were very thick. The room was built in case of battle or invasion. They had never used it before save for punishment. There were three beds, a crib, a large table, some chairs, a bookcase, and a communication screen. There was also a dividing wall to separate Triton from the girls.

As the three girls went in, Triton noticed a guard post himself outside of it. "Please stay here with the children," their mother told the guard. "They are not to leave, and only Areia is to enter and leave." The guard nodded.

"Mother-"

"Not now, Triton," she said. "Areia will bring your supper this evening. Until then, please behave and stay here. Either your father or I shall return this evening to see you." Triton nodded. As the door closed, the four siblings worried about what might be going on.


	2. Tragedy Strikes First

**Chapter 2**

Young Princess Pluto stared hard into the black screen before her. Tears formed slowly in the corners of her eyes out of the raw fear that ate at her from the inside. The young princess was locked securely in the safe room of the castle. Her only link to the outside had been her screen, but as she had spoken with her father in the control room the screen died. Soft rumbles of a battle rattled with Pluto's metal coins that littered the floor. The princess reached back and pulled at the uncomfortable bun in her hair. She managed to pull it free and proceeded to braid it to the side of her head as she always did. It didn't keep her mind from her fear, but it kept her from chewing on her nails. As she was halfway down her long green hair, she heard heavy sounds of metal on stone.

Pluto jumped up and rushed to the barred window of the door. She was tall for her age, but she still stood on her toes to get a better view. She saw that the guards were gone. Without thinking about it, she unlatched the door and practically lunged out of the room. She was no sooner to the stairs when she heard the sounds of fighting. Frightened, she backed away. Then suddenly, one of the guards tumbled down the stairs. His armor made an awful racket that forced Pluto to cover her ears. She flattened herself to the wall just as the second guard came down. His armor, too, made an awful racket, but it was the sight of gushing blood that made Pluto run away. She ran for the safe room, but she couldn't get in. Standing in the doorway was a fierce-looking woman in clothing that showed far more skin than was appropriate, at least in the Kingdom of Meiousei.

The woman turned, revealing a pair of bright amber eyes that contrasted violently with her long black hair. Pluto backed away, but found herself unable to go far. She looked up and saw a tall man in silver and black armor standing behind her. He had short, sharp silver hair that was pointed straight up. What surprised Pluto the most, however, was that he didn't have one color for his eyes. Instead, one was brown and the other green.

"Grab her," he said. Pluto looked forward again in time to see the woman reaching for her. Pluto tried to run, but the woman's grip was strong.

"Let me go!" Pluto shouted. Then she screamed as the woman squeezed her arm painfully. Pluto silenced instantly.

"Let's pay her father a visit," the man said. "I'm not interested in paying a senshi a visit anytime soon." The man made reference to Pluto's mother, and this the little princess noted.

She wondered, "If they haven't gone through mother, how did they get inside in the first place?"

- - - - - -

The control room was buzzing with traffic from the monitors. Generals and captains were sending in their actions and requesting help and other such things. King Hadesu had been quite busy with the monitors until a steward informed him that the castle had been breached. He was all the more worried because he had lost communication with his daughter in the safe room only moments before the steward had come.

He was now frantically trying to reestablish the link. He swore quite profusely in the process. "Damn it all," he muttered through his gritted teeth. "What is going on in here?" Then suddenly, the monitors all went out. He slammed his fists on a bare part of the console. The tremor of hitting it traveled through his bones and into his left leg, which was hardly in any condition to be stood on. He rolled his palm into it as he took in deep breaths. He let them out in shudders. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"Father!" The king spun around to the door where Pluto stood. He didn't care to wonder how she had opened it or how she had gotten out of her room without the guards. All he cared about was that she was okay.

Pluto was alright, too, for the moment. She ran to her father and literally jumped onto his chest. "Father!" she cried. "There are people in the castle! They killed the guards and got me!'

"How in the world did you get away?" he asked. When Pluto pulled away and looked up at him, Hadesu saw the mighty symbol of Meiousei burning bright on her forehead.

"My head got real hot and the woman let go of me screaming," Pluto said as she buried her face back into her father's armor the best she could. "I ran right here."

"You led us right here, too," said a smooth, sultry voice. Hadesu looked up to the doorway to see a scantily clad woman and a tall, armored man standing in the main doorway to the control room. Hadesu put down his daughter in a hurry and drew his sword. Pluto ran around behind him. "I was quite surprised when your daughter tapped into her power," the woman said. "I was even more surprised with how fast she ran away. We hadn't counted on her escaping, but it saved us the trouble of hunting you down. Personally, I wouldn't have minded killing a few more people to find you."

"What is going on?" Hadesu asked. "What is the meaning of this?"

"We're on orders to weaken the kingdoms," the man said. "We are to kill the royals slowly and painfully. Our way is one at a time."

"Yes, Tyran never gave us specific orders," the woman said with a smiling side-glance to the armored man.

The man stepped forward as he drew his sword. It was long and black, yet it shined like silver. "Now, your majesty, prepare to meet my blade." The king couldn't react in time. The man was quicker than the eye could tell. He was instantly behind the king with his sword's tip pressed to the back of the king's neck. Pluto never realized that she had been kicked away. She didn't feel the pain of the kick to her side until just before the tip of the man's sword speared King Hadesu's neck. The king twitched as he fell to his knees. The man pulled his sword swiftly from the neck, the king's blood running smoothly down the edges. The king fell to his side, his armor clanking noisily on the stone. Pluto was in too much mental shock and physical pain to move or to make a noise. She just stared at her father, the need to retch playing around in her stomach.

"Kurzai, what do we do with the kid?" the woman asked. Pluto heard, but found herself unable to look away from her beloved father.

"Leave her," the man named Kurzai said. "I don't kill kids."

"Does it make a difference?" the woman asked. She approached the princess, the clack of her heels echoing in the now silent room.

"No, Lishana," Kurzai said sternly. "Leave her be. She's damaged enough for my tastes." Lishana took her hand back, and then smiled.

"Quite right," she agreed. "Perhaps the same should be done of the other royal brats." Kurzai nodded as he sheathed his sword. He stepped over the king's body and took Lishana's hand. The pair instantly disappeared.

Pluto sat in a deathly silence for only a few moments before she pushed herself up. She walked around her father to his front. Her watery maroon eyes met her father's lifeless maroon eyes. She stared into them for several moments as the monitors buzzed slowly to life. Then suddenly, something in Pluto snapped. She took in a wavering breath as she dropped to her knees and started to shake her father's shoulder. "Father?" she whispered. "Father? Father!" She began sobbing uncontrollably as she nuzzled her nose into the side of his neck. She wrapped her arms around his neck, his blood soaking into the maroon fabric of her puffy sleeve and running down the rest of her arm. "Father come back!" she cried.

Quite quickly her sobs were over-powered. The voices of captains, generals, and soldiers flooded the monitors. Pluto raised her head and wiped her eyes unconsciously with her bloody left hand. No blood got into her eyes, but her cheek and nose were covered.

She looked up at the monitors and stood. Numbly she walked over and muted the monitors. Then she took the microphone, pressed the switch, and spoke into it. "Sailor Charon, this is control," she said in a shaking, cracking voice. "Sailor Charon..." Then, her voice broke completely. "Mama, please come it!"

"Pluto? Is that you?" The face of Queen Charon, in the black and maroon senshi uniform of Meiousei, popped onto the screen. She looked like she was in a bunker, with several soldiers in the background. "Pluto? What are you doing in the control room? Oh no..." The queen looked upon the bloody image of her daughter on her screen. "Pluto? What happened? Why are you all bloody? Where is your father?"

Pluto sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her equally bloody right hand. "Mama, I need you..."


	3. Two for Disaster

**Chapter 3**

"I want to know what is going on," Nereid said irritably. Ever since the four children of Kaiousei had been locked in the safe room, Nereid had been pacing in a never-ending circle. Neptune could swear that there was a ring worn into the stone floor. "I'm tired of this! We've been in here too long!"

"If there is a real threat," Triton said calmly, "Then there is no such thing as 'too long,' and we won't be leaving until it has been determined one way or the other." Nereid didn't retaliate, and chose rather to grind the heel of her shoe into the stone.

"Sister, please sit," Neptune said. "Your pacing is making Thalassa nervous." Nereid sighed, knowing Neptune's empathic abilities were never wrong, and sat in one of the school chairs at the table. However, she had barely sat more than a moment when the whole room quaked violently. Thalassa screamed a child's cry as she and Neptune fell from the bench. Neptune kept the little girl snug to her chest and landed on her back, preventing harm to Thalassa. Triton was firmly on his feet with his sword drawn and pointed to the door. Nereid swooped down to her sisters and drew them to their feet. The four waited anxiously. Then suddenly, the door began to dent. After several dents the door came crashing down with the guard embedded into one of the dents. Nereid and Neptune gasped in shock.

"Stay here," Triton said as he cautiously approached the door. He glanced out either way before venturing out of sight. The three sisters waited in apprehension. Even Thalassa was anxious as she clung to Neptune, one hand to her sister's dress strap and the other to her hair.

Moments felt like hours. Then Triton's head appeared suddenly in the doorway. It surprised Neptune and Nereid, causing them to gasp in belief that it might be someone else. "There isn't anyone out here," he said. "Whatever did this is gone."

"I'm scared," Neptune whispered as she pressed into Nereid's side. "I want mother and father."

"So do I," Nereid admitted. Then, to salvage her role as the supportive older sister, Nereid added, "However, we are perfectly safe. We have Triton to protect us, and I have come into my powers. We are going to be fine." Neptune was unconvinced, but she nonetheless stayed glued to her older sister's side while keeping her younger sister fast to her own.

While no one could tell it yet, Thalassa had come into her in-born empathic abilities. While her older sisters and brother tried to keep a calm facade, Thalassa could feel their anxiety and fear. Being so young and inexperienced, the feelings struck Thalassa in raging waves. They added to her own fears, and she began to fuss. Neptune bounced the little child on her hip, but Thalassa could feel the increase in Neptune's fear. Thalassa's fussing evolved swiftly into screaming cries such as only a mother could calm.

"Please, Thalassa," Neptune pleaded. She made shushing sounds in hopes of calming her. However, there was no calming the upset child.

"Children!" The three older children looked up to see their governess, Areia, appear in the door. She looked upon the door and gasped in pure horror at the sight of the guard. She looked up at the four and motioned out. "Children come," she said. "We must hurry. The army is close at hand, and there are invaders already within the castle. They didn't argue as the made there way over the doorway. Triton left first and kept a watch of the corridor. Areia took Thalassa, but it seemed only to increase her crying.

"Please, give her here," Neptune said. Areia shook her head.

"She will slow you down," she said. "Come, hurry!" Areia ran in front as Neptune and Nereid followed. Triton brought up the rear, keeping watch behind them. He was uneasy and still pondered who or what had attacked the guard.

The group came into the schoolroom shortly. Queen Larissa was already there, donning her sea-colored senshi uniform. In her hands was the Deep Aqua Mirror. She motioned the group through, taking Thalassa from Areia. "Areia, find my husband and inform him that the children are here," Larissa told the governess. Areia nodded and hurried from the room, closing the door behind her.

"Mother, please," Nereid pleaded, "What is happening?" Larissa looked upon her eldest daughter, who was just coming into womanhood, who wore her undulating, sea-like hair up through her crown. Never before had she seen such child-like fear in the eldest of her daughters. She knew, however, that even though her fear was like that of an innocent child she could not hide the truth, nor coat it in simplicity.

"Someone is invading Sol," she said. "They have already struck Meiousei, and word is that they have struck down King Hadesu, leaving Princess Pluto to witness the act."

"Poor Pluto," Nereid whispered. "Is she all right otherwise?"

"We cannot know for sure," Larissa.

"Perhaps we can be of assistance," said a sultry voice. Larissa and her children looked up. Standing in front of the closed door was a scantily clad woman unknown to them. Beside her was a tall armored man who stood at her side only a moment before stepping in front of the second door. "Kurzai, there's so many brats," the woman whined.

"I know," Kurzai said. "My orders remain." He drew his sword, which was now clean of King Hadesu's blood. "Tell me, your majesty, what would you prefer I refer to you as: Queen Larissa, or Sailor Larissa?"

"You are the barbarians, aren't you?" Larissa asked as Thalassa clutched the collar of her senshi uniform. "You are the intruders who struck down King Hadesu."

"That seems a shameful explanation," Kurzai said. "I outright murdered that old fool. He didn't have so much as a moment to counter my movement. I slid my sword through the back of his neck like it was butter." Neptune grew pale at the thought of such a thing happening. Nereid slowly slid Neptune behind her while Triton stepped beside his mother, his sword shining dangerously. Kurzai laughed. "I think you'd better put that thing away, boy. You might hurt yourself."

"It is unlikely I shall hurt anyone," Triton said, "If you don't do anything against us, that is."

"You think you can harm me?" Kurzai laughed. "That's truly amusing." He spun his blade once around his wrist. Trion jumped in front of his mother as Kurzai lunged at him. Their blade met with a horrifying clang. Larissa quickly handed her youngest to Neptune. The mighty queen's hands were glowing with a water-like energy. She had just turned to Kurzai and Triton when she saw her son go flying backward; Kurzai had disabled him with one mighty kick. As Triton landed noisily among the chairs Larissa shoved her palms toward Kurzai and shouted, "Tidal Submergence!" Water-like energy swirled from her palms and drove into Kurzai's middle. He flew across the small room into the stone wall between the two doors. He slid down the wall, his armor scraping against it and pulling down a drapery. Larissa turned to the woman to find her gone. Meanwhile, Nereid and Neptune flanked their fallen brother who wheezed with every breath.

Larissa watched as Kurzai got to his feet, clearly with too much ease. The man stood erect with his chin high. A sour grin grew slowly on his face as he starred at the rigid senshi-queen. "Impressive," he said, "But you are still going to die." As the last of his words left his tongue the school room burst open. In the doorway was King Proteus, brandishing the Torrent Trident. He needed only a slight glance at Kurzai before launching himself at him. Sword met trident and the two fought feverishly, moving naught but a few steps in the process. Larissa stayed fast in front of her children, watching the fight uneasily. Then the unthinkable happened.

Kurzai sidestepped a lunge from the trident and spun around to the king's back with ease. In one swift movement Kurzai's black sword went in and out of the king's back. The king's knees had barely met the ground when Larissa lunged at Kurzai, her hands glowing in energy. Kurzai stayed fast in his place. The queen could have attacked at any moment. Instead she opted to release her attack closer. She hoped it would tear a hole through him. The distraction of the king's death was the queen's undoing, as Kurzai took two steps toward her and spun full around once. His sword slid cleaning through her neck, so cleanly that Sailor Larissa's head didn't leave the body until her body hit the ground. Her golden tiara fell from her head and cracked on the ground.

The four children of Kaiousei watched helplessly from their place in the corner. Triton was still physically immobilized by the kick to his middle. Now, his mind was frozen in shock. His sisters, while also shocked beyond all reason, where not so paralyzed. Nereid leapt to her feet, screaming in an anguished sorrow. Her whole body shimmered as the sign of Kaiousei burned bright on her forehead. Neptune stayed fast to the floor with Thalassa clutching her arm. The sign also burned brightly on both of their foreheads, but they were different.

Nereid threw punches at Kurzai while somehow dodging his sword. Her fury ignited her in-born powers and she was shortly after throwing bombs of water at him. Her fury quickly wore down her strength, however, and she found herself unable to avoid a painful slash across her collarbone. It attacked shallowly, but Nereid had never known pain on such a magnitude. The pain blinded her and she was quickly kicked down as Triton had been. Nereid landed on the floor, her head smacking against the wall and cracking her crown in three places. It fell from her head, letting loose her deep-teal locks of hair. Kurzai smirked at Nereid before turning his attention to the remaining three. It was then that he felt the enormous power flowing from the two remaining princesses.

The sign of Kaiousei burned with a watery light on both of their foreheads. Neptune seemed to be frozen in fear, staring at the assassin before her. Thalassa's young eyes were no longer shining with their usual innocence as she, too, stared hard at Kurzai. Kurzai began to approach them. After three steps the power flowing from the princesses increased. Kurzai felt heaviness on his chest that made breathing hard. As it was becoming unbearable for Kurzai, Lishana appeared behind the two princesses. Triton watched as she brought up a fist and then brought it hurtling toward Neptune. Neptune winced at the blow before collapsing to her side. Instantly the flowing power decreased by a huge amount. The remainder was hardly a tickle to Kurzai. It became obvious that the bulk of the power hadn't been coming from the now-screaming Thalassa.

Lishana ignored the screaming child as she stepped over both she and Neptune. Taking her place beside Kurzai, Lishana offered her hand, which Kurzai gladly accepted. The two disappeared, leaving Triton still immobile, Nereid and Neptune unconscious, and Thalassa weeping sorrowfully to an unending void.


	4. Death Befalls Thrice

**Chapter 4**

"It's been confirmed, my lord," a steward told King Caliban of Tennousei. "Meiousei is under attack, from the planet of Maygo."

"Maygo?" asked Princess Miranda. "How can that be? They haven't had an army in ages." The princess sat beside her husband, Prince Sycorax. Sitting in the chair to her other side was their daughter, Princess Uranus. Across the table were the king and his wife, Queen Titania.

"Are they sure?" Sycorax asked. "Are they sure it is Maygo? This is the kind of thing we'd expect from Dohisei, not Maygo. We're on good terms with Maygo! Epimetheus is from there!"

"Meiousei is sure," the king said. "They say there is another army coming right for us. I'm going to prepare the men. Miranda, take Uranus to the safe room. Sycorax, I could use another leader." Sycorax nodded as everyone stood.

"I'd like to take them down to the safe room myself," Sycorax said. "I'll contact Mitir right away and tell them we are under attack."

"Agreed," the king said. "Titania, will you be fighting with us in battle?" The queen turned to him and nodded, already brandishing the famed Space Sword of Tennousei. "All right. I'm going straight out. I'll see you two when you are ready." With that, the king left.

Miranda led the way to the safe room. Clutched in her hand was her daughter's own. Uranus' other hand was firmly in her father's. Queen Titania followed. Sometime between the briefing room and the main hallway she had transformed into her navy and yellow senshi uniform. She had the sword propped up against her shoulder.

As they reached the main hallway Uranus turned her head to look over her shoulder to her grandmother. The queen born from the system of Suta was Princess Uranus' picture of power. Uranus hoped that someday, she would wear the uniform of Tennousei, rather than of Mitir, and bear the Space Sword rather than Mitir's Star Tambourine. Uranus turned her attention forward as she was steered down the main hallway. She turned back to look at her grandmother, but there was no senshi behind her. "Nana?" Uranus pulled from the grasp of he parent's hands. "Nana? Are you coming?" the little princess asked.

"Heaven's Touch!" came a great shout. The corridor they had just come out of became blindingly bright, the light spilling into the main hallway.

"Nana!" Uranus shouted as she and her mother were pushed behind Sycorax. The prince's sword had barely left the sheath when the mighty senshi-queen was thrown from the corridor. The Space Sword fell to the middle of the hallway with little sound. Sycorax held his sword ready as Kurzai and Lishana stepped from the corridor.

"Identify yourself!" Sycorax shouted to the two. Kurzai's full attention was on the queen as she got to her feet. Lishana looked at Sycorax and his family with an evil grin.

"Look at the handsome prince of Mitir," she said. "What luck to find you all here... Should Princess Tyran ever decide to pay Mitir a 'visit' she shall have three less royals to deal with."

The normally quiet and tranquil queen now bore a face of rage inborn to her from her father. She lifted a hand to the air and shouted, "Heaven's Touch!" A great sphere of golden energy enveloped her hand. The senshi-queen then threw the orb at Kurzai. Kurzai side-stepped it, but did not go entirely without harm. The armoring from his left arm dissolved from the energy, exposing his bare arm, riddled with old-looking scars. Kurzai, however, was not fazed. He drew his sword as though nothing had happened and lunged at Sailor Titania. Titania moved away and dived for the Space Sword. To her horror, however, Lishana had reached it first. Titania got to her feet and threw an attack at Lishana. Lishana, however, vanished from sight. Titania moved away from Kurzai as he came at her. She positioned herself away from him and threw another attack. Kurzai was heading straight for her, and would have had no way of avoiding it had Lishana not appeared next to him and taken him away. He reappeared behind Titania, brandishing not his sword but the queen's Space Sword. In one fell swoop Kurzai dislocated the queen's neck from her shoulders with her own sword.

"Mother!" Miranda screamed as the queen's head and neck fell to the ground separate from her body. Uranus wanted to scream as well, but her voice was choked in her throat. Sycorax then lunged at Lishana and Kurzai, but he laid no blow on either as the Space Sword was thrown at him, lodging itself in his head. The prince of Mitir fell heavily as Kurzai and Lishana disappeared. Miranda summoned an orb of energy into her right hand as she kept Uranus close with her left arm. The young princess held onto her mother. For several tense moments they stayed in their place, Miranda crouched to the floor, Uranus clutching her dress. Moments seemed like hours, and their last moment was signaled by Uranus' pained cry. She was pulled away by her short blond braid by Lishana as Kurzai raised his black sword and brought it down squarely on Miranda's head, splitting it in two. The gruesome image made Uranus want to vomit. She didn't have the chance, however, as Kurzai struck the princess of Mitir on the back of the neck with the hilt of his sword. Lishana released the princess' braid and let her fall limply to the ground.

"That was almost too easy," Lishana said. Kurzai shook his head.

"Your arm wasn't almost taken off," he said, motioning to his left arm as he sheathed his sword. Lishana laughed heartily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The two disappeared without further sound, leaving the horrifying image in the hallway for an unlucky lady-in-waiting to come across.


	5. Heartbreak Spares Not Dosei

**Chapter 5**

"I'm bored!" Pandora complained. She sat in the safe room with her aunt and uncle, though her aunt was the same age as Pandora and her uncle was younger. Pandora saw Saturn and Iapetus more as friends than family, though being a little girl she saw all boys as being disgusting. For this reason, Pandora and Saturn had built a fort out of mattresses and chairs. Iapetus was left to draw and paint alone.

Saturn twirled a lock of her long black hair around her finger before chewing on the ends. Pandora often envied Saturn's long beautiful hair, often scorning her own shoulder-length black hair in the process. "I'm bored, too," she said. "Let's go see Dione!" Pandora became excited at the idea of seeing her mother. The three young children had been locked away for most of the day, and Pandora hated being away from her mother for long periods of time. Then, Pandora frowned.

"How are we going to get out?" she asked. "Daddy locked us in."

Saturn stuck out her tongue. "Epimetheus is such a sour nose," she said.

"Don't talk about my daddy like that!" Pandora cried.

"He's your daddy, so obviously you'll love him," Saturn said, "But he's my brother-in-law and I think he's one big sour nose. Anyway, I have a way out of here." Saturn quietly pushed on the wall right next to the two girls. To Pandora's amazement, a part of the wall opened up. "I found it when I got put in here for putting ice in Epimetheus' shoes." Pandora giggled at the mention of the very funny incident. Saturn had gotten in big trouble, but nothing too serious.

So, without alerting Iapetus the two princesses' of Dosei snuck out of the safe room through a secret passage King Telesto and Queen Helene had made, neither liking the idea of their children being cornered in the event of an attack.

"Saturn, where does this go to?" Pandora asked as she and Saturn crawled on their hands and knees. The tunnel was wide enough for the two girls to crawl side-by-side and tall enough, Saturn guessed, for an adult to crawl through.

"It goes to the control room," Saturn said. "I think Dione and daddy are there."

"I hope so," Pandora said. "I haven't seen grandfather in so many days."

"Pandora, are you going to go back to Maygo?" Saturn asked. Pandora looked over at her.

"I don't know," she said. "Daddy said we won't go back until Tyran is defeated, and he hasn't heard from Maygo in so long."

"I don't want to be a ruler," Saturn said. "I don't see how Dione and Epimetheus can stand ruling over a planet like Maygo."

Pandora shook her head and said, "I've told mommy the same thing. She said that with lots of power comes a lot of responsibilities. She said that since we were born into privilege we have to repay out fortune by leading common people to be happy. Daddy said it more simply than mommy, though. He said that it is just the way things are."

"I want to be a senshi like mother," Saturn said. "I want to use the Silence Glaive and I want to be a soldier."

"I want to be a beautiful ruler like my mom," Pandora said. "I want to fall in love and marry a handsome prince, like Prince Triton!"

"He's too old for you!" Saturn said. The two girls fell into a fit of giggles as they continued down the tunnel. Finally they came upon the end. Light peeked around the edges, barely adding to the sparse lighting of the tunnel. Saturn gently pushed on the panel, but stopped when she heard urgent-sounding voices. She recognized the first, and stuck out her tongue.

"There is no telling how strong Tyran's forces have gotten," King Epimetheus said. "We've been out of communication with Maygo for so long, there is truly no telling."

"What of these reports of assassins?" Queen Dione asked. "Is it true?"

"I fear so," Queen Helene told her daughter and son-in-law. "Hadesu's death has been confirmed, as has Proteus' and Larissa's."

"Whoever killed my sister is going to pay," King Telesto said. Saturn and Pandora jumped at the sound of a heavy slam; Telesto had slapped his hands on the console. "If those cowards dare to show their faces here, I'll rip their throats out myself." Saturn paled, having never heard her gentle father speak in such a way. "What of Tennousei?" Dione asked. "What of their situation?"

"They have engaged the army," Helene said. "As for the assassins, we've gotten scattered reports of Titania, Miranda, and Sycorax being dead."

"What of Uranus?" Epimetheus asked. "Is the little princess all right? What of Pluto, Triton, Nereid, Neptune, and Thalassa?"

"I don't know," Helene replied wearily. The group was suddenly caught off guard as the monitors suddenly began to wail. "An intruder!" the queen shouted. "Dione, Epimetheus, hurry to the children! Make sure they're safe!" Saturn's heart jumped. She kept hoping they wouldn't try the extra passage. However, in the bustle no one took into account the extra way.

Dione and Epimetheus left the room in a hurry. Through the crack in the panel Pandora and Saturn watched as Queen Helene became Sailor Helene. Her floor-length black hair tied itself into a bun and braid as her violet gown became her senshi uniform. "I'll follow and keep the way clear," Helene told her husband. She summoned the Silence Glaive into her hands, then she, too, left. Telesto hurried and set the monitors into observation. He first turned to the safe room. He could see Iapetus hiding behind his painting easel, but there was no sign of Saturn and Pandora. "Where… Where are the girls?"

Saturn pushed the panel open and crawled out. "We're here, daddy," Saturn said meekly. Pandora followed, keeping her eyes glued to the floor.

"What are you two doing here?" he scolded. "Hurry, go back through and get into the safe room to Iapetus. Now!" The girls jumped at Telesto's tone. Pandora quickly started to climb in. Saturn turned to follow. Then, there was an awful gurgling gasp followed by a horrid screech from metal-on-metal. The two princesses turned and saw a red streak across the exposed neck of King Telesto. Blood was pouring from the corners of his mouth as he fell. Saturn and Pandora screamed. Then, they saw the assassin. Saturn didn't know him, but Pandora knew him well.

"You're Kurzai Reiko!" she cried. "Why did you do that? You killed my grandfather!"

"My apologies, princess," Kurzai said as he wiped his sword on the king's cape. "However, I have no loyalty to your extended family. I suggest you two leave." Pandora was frozen in her place. Saturn, however, was not. She clenched her fists and ran at Kurzai as he turned. She leapt onto his back and wrapped her mighty arms around his neck. He immediately began to fight back. Saturn, however, was powerful. Meanwhile, Lishana made herself known and reached for the fighting princess. Pandora tore off her crown and threw it at Lishana, hitting her square in the back of her head. Lishana flinched and turned angrily to her.

"Pandora, get out of here!" Saturn yelled. Pandora slid back fully into the tunnel and slammed the panel shut on Lishana's fingers. She vanished, allowing Pandora to close the panel completely.

Saturn slammed her fists onto Kurzai's armor, displaying the strength she had inherited from her father. However, her strength could not stop Kurzai's temper from getting out of control. He threw his fist back and struck the princess with the hilt of his sword. Saturn fell away limply, her body making little noise on the stone ground. Kurzai spun around to look at her, and felt the color drain away from his face at the sight that beheld him.

The young princess' pink neck was torn open and blood ran freely from it. He glanced to the hilt of his sword, and saw the blood on it, along with a small section of the princess' skin. He immediately dropped the sword and looked upon Saturn as she breathed her last breath. He turned away, disgusted with his actions.

"I wondered how long you would go," Lishana said. "I figured you would have cracked back with one of the brats from Kaiousei." Lishana picked up his sword and wiped off the hilt on the king's cape. She then sheathed it for him. "Let's go." She touched his shoulder, and the two vanished.

- - - - - -

Pandora hadn't gone far down the tunnel before getting a sickening feeling in her stomach. She turned around and went back to the control room. She became choked up upon seeing Saturn as she was, bloody and lifeless. Pandora looked between her grandfather and her best friend, and wept silent streams. She fell to her knees beside her grandfather and hugged him. Then she crawled on her knees to Saturn, and hugged her as well. However, Pandora didn't get up. She stayed there, hugging her best friend, weeping silently until tears flowed no more.


	6. Fatality Calamity

**Chapter 6**

The control room of the Mokusei kingdom was the grandest of the all, despite the fact that the kingdom was not the most important in defenses. Though, should the outer four kingdoms falls, Mokusei would be the final defense before the Asteroid Fields.

King Pasiphae had brought the grand technology from his previous home of Jutaro after settling the kingdom of Mokusei. His queen, Leda, had incorporated the technology of Trinity into the technology of Jutaro. To them, an advanced control room was a must. The two were highly trained in battle and were vital in training up-and-coming soldiers and senshi. They even trained their children for such combat. Right now, however, they were feeling like failures. As news of the war reached their center, news of death also crossed their monitors. While their children were yet unharmed, their daughter-in-law Titania and son-in-law Hadesu were slain. To add to that, their granddaughter Miranda and her husband Sycorax were also dead. News like this wearied the rulers. Such news also disturbed their youngest children, Princesses Ganymede and Jupiter.

The two princesses were manning two consoles themselves, but they found their attention waning. Ganymede was very much older than Jupiter, having reached her maturity not long ago. Jupiter was still yet a child. Yet, both were equally capable in fighting. The deaths of their family had excited their anger, pushing them into thoughts of battle and revenge.

"It can't possibly be," Leda said. The princesses' attention shifted to their uniformed mother who was focused on one of the many monitors. "The armies are still held up in Meiousei and Tennousei, yet there is a report of King Telesto being killed!"

"There are several reports of assassins going ahead of the armies," Pasiphae said as she joined his wife. "One report blames these assassins for the deaths of Titania, Hadesu, Miranda, and Sycorax."

"Could they be coming here?" Ganymede asked. "If there are assassins, could they have been to Dosei already?"

"It is possible," Pasiphae said, not ready to break his vow to never lie to his daughters. "They could be here already."

"How could they be traveling so fast?" Jupiter asked. "If there are only one or two, then that could explain them getting ahead of the army, but how could they be traveling from kingdom to kingdom?"

"Could they be using our own transportation against us?" Ganymede asked. "Perhaps they are using our inter-kingdom teleports."

Leda turned to her husband, who nodded his head. "I already have soldiers stationed at the teleport," Pasiphae assured her. "Soldiers are stationed everywhere in the castle, on the grounds, and within the kingdom itself. If these assassins appear, we will know."

"Incoming message," Ganymede said as she turned back to her monitor. "It is from the captain- Intruders!" The other three turned back to their monitors, but only for a moment before the grand doors to the control room were thrown from their hinges. The door landed on the monitors Jupiter and Ganymede were working at; the sisters dived away just in time.

The family looked to the doorway where Lishana stood. She was alone, and seemed rather frail in comparison to the grand doorway. "Hello, royal family of Mokusei!" she called out. "It is Doomsday!"

'Doomsday' had no sooner left her mouth when Kurzai swung down from the top beam of the doorway and flew at Pasiphae and Sailor Leda. Pasiphae drew his sword as Leda cross her arms on her chest. An antenna came from her tiara as she shouted, "Lightning Foliage!" Electrified flower petals flew at Kurzai, disrupting his flight and causing him to land unevenly in front of Pasiphae. The king swung his sword at Kurzai, striking his armor and pinning him to the ground.

"You two!" he shouted. "You two are the assassins who murdered Hadesu and Titania, Miranda and Sycorax!"

Lishana laughed. "And Larissa, Proteus, Telesto, and Saturn!" Lishana boasted. She vanished from sight, reappearing above Leda. Lishana landed on the senshi-queen and took her into a deadly headlock as Kurzai kicked Pasiphae and got to his feet. Leda took Lishana's arms, threatening to break them in her grip, and threw the woman across the room. Kurzai and Pasiphae became engaged in a feverish swordfight greater than Kurzai's fight with Proteus. Lishana and Leda exchanged one blow after another, Leda launching electrified attacks at Lishana while the scantily clad woman would vanish and reappear near the queen to tackle her.

Ganymede and Jupiter armed themselves with their swords and went to the aid of their father and mother, respectively. Jupiter, however, was directed away. "Jupiter, help your father!" Leda commanded. Jupiter nodded and hurried off in time to see Ganymede skid across the jade floors, her sword skidding along with her in two pieces. Pasiphae continued to fight with Kurzai, his anger building at the treatment of his eldest daughter. Jupiter came up behind Kurzai and leapt up at his back, bringing her sword down on his armor. It clanged mightily, but it had no effect. Jupiter landed back on her feet as Kurzai turned toward her. She gasped when she saw her father hanging from the sword. Kurzai shoved the dead king away and raised his empty hand to the princess. He struck her across the face, tossing her easily across the room. Her sword nearly impaled her, but she ended up landing without it.

Leda was furious. Her daughter's were a mess, and her husband was dead. The warrior blood in her veins boiled beyond reason. Leda threw Lishana across the room before charging at Kurzai. She sent one attack after another at him. Kurzai could feel panic on the back of his neck as he tried to avoid the attacks. He was unable to, however, and was struck dead-on twice. He fell twitching, his sword falling uselessly to his side. Leda stepped over him and held her hands at his throat to send an attack immediately there. Just as her attack was gaining power enough for Kurzai's skin to prickle, Lishana appeared and kicked the senshi so that her heel dug into the queen's side, hitting right under her rib. Leda stumbled to the side, giving Lishana ample time to swing back her hand and backslap the queen. The queen's jaw line and cheek were torn up as Lishana put her silver spike gloves to work. The queen spun a bit before falling to her knees, then to her side. Lishana picked up Kurzai's sword and lifted it above the queen's neck with intent to finish the job. However, Kurzai stopped her.

"Let's move on," he said. He shook slightly, and his armor was still charged with electricity. "I'm anxious to continue."

"But Kurzai, we could be rid of one more royal," Lishana objected. Kurzai shook his head and took back his sword.

"Another time," he said. "Besides, if she does not receive help soon she will be as good as dead anyway." Lishana smiled wickedly and nodded. The two clasped hands, and through Lishana's might they disappeared.

Leda snapped open her eyes and looked up. Seeing they were gone, she clasped her right hand over her side wound and pushed herself up with her other. The mighty Sailor Leda then pulled herself across the room to the controls. She felt around for one of the switches and, upon finding it, flipped it to alert the soldiers of intruders in the control room. Then, she pulled herself up and turned to a blank monitor. Working as quickly as possible, she opened the line to the inner kingdoms.

"Be aware: two assassins, extremely deadly, responsible for murders in outer kingdoms," she transmitted in her strained voice. "Beware; they can vanish of their own power. They infiltrated the defenses of Mokusei with little warning. Be advised! B-" Then, the queen gasped and fell from the controls as darkness overcame her.


	7. Foreseen is Thy End

**Chapter 7**

"The message is real," King Ares said. "It is Queen Leda, and what she says we have to take as truth."

"Then it is not safe anywhere for the girls," said Sailor Eris. Normally, the intimidating queen of foresight wore naught but deep royal reds. Today, however, she donned the senshi uniform of Kasei. "We should send the girls directly to Selenity."

"No," Ares said. "I want them to go to Suisei. It is as far in as you can go." Eris nodded, knowing there was no arguing with her husband. She sighed and followed her husband out of the control room. They traveled down to the safe room, where the three daughters of Kasei slept. The youngest, Scarlet, seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Marusu, the eldest, seemed to be sleeping peacefully as well. Mars, however, was tossing and turning.

Ares gently awoke Scarlet and Marusu while Eris tended to Mars. "Mars wake up," she whispered. However, Mars did not respond. Finally, Eris traversed into Mars' mind. What she saw was more than appalling. Over and over a ram was running toward a sword, and every time the sword cut the ram in two. Eris disrupted the nightmare so Mars would wake. The middle princess was too groggy to react to anything, so Ares had to carry her out of the safe room to the teleports. Marusu followed obediently and silently, though wondering what was going on. Scarlet constantly yawned as she followed behind in large stepped to keep up with her mother. Young Scarlet didn't have a choice, as her hand was firmly in her mother's. The trek to the teleports gave Eris time to ponder her daughter's vision. She knew it was more than a nightmare, for Mars had never had dreams or nightmares. She was more in tune with her gift than Marusu, Scarlet, or even Eris and Ares. Eris knew the vision meant death, and to someone in the Kasei family, for Earthen rams were the common symbol of the Kasei Kingdom.

Before Eris knew it, they were at the teleports. The teleports of Kasei were older, and so only one at a time could go. Ares sent Marusu first so the eldest could receive the not-so-awake one.

The eldest disappeared, the sounds of the teleport making Scarlet jump in her nightgown. "Mama, why are we leaving?" Scarlet asked.

Eris looked down at her youngest, her sweet innocent child no older than Iapetus of Dosei. Eris had foreseen a powerful union between them when Scarlet had been born, before Iapetus was even conceived. Her vision, however, had changed upon change in power on Maygo. With the return of Dione, Epimetheus, and Pandora came a drastic change. Visions involving Scarlet were obscured and distant.

Eris shook he head and said, "It is just to be safe. You and your sisters are going to see your grandmother for a little while, okay?" Scarlet yawned and nodded sleepily. Energy returned to the teleport and Ares sat Mars into it. The princess was finally beginning to wake up.

"You behave for your grandparents, Mars," Ares said. "We'll send Scarlet along next." Mars nodded groggily. She started to yawn, but midway through she stopped and looked past her parents. "Father, who is that?" she asked, pointing past her mother and father. The two rulers turned and saw two people unlike any they had ever seen. Eris immediately knew who they were as visions of their wrong-doings flooded her senses.

"Ares, it's them," she said faintly. "They are the assassins, Kurzai Reiko and- and…" The sensation of such doings overwhelmed the queen.

"My name is Lishana," the woman said uncouthly. Kurzai twirled his sword around his wrist before gripping it firmly and lunging Ares drew his sword in time for it to graze down the edge of Kurzai's sword. Ares shoved Kurzai away. Then, he lunged back and Eris knew the worst as Mars' vision played in her mind.

Kurzai brought his sword down on the king's head, splitting it clean in two. The headstrong, fiery king of Kasei died, just as his second daughter had unknowingly foreseen. Eris, in a panic, stepped backward. She took her youngest into her arms and turned her head away from the scene, pressing her face gently into her neck. Eris lifted her available hand toward the duo and shouted, "Torrential Wildfire!" From each finger sprang a spiraling whirl of fire that whirled at Kurzai and Lishana. The two, however, vanished without a trace. Eris began shaking, and then she fell to her knees and wept, holding onto little Scarlet for dear life. Scarlet, numb with innocent confusion, stayed still in her mother's arms. Mars, however, could not handle the strain and fainted.


	8. Concern Reaches the Concerned

**Chapter 8**

"The enemy is dwindling, but they aren't pulling back. It seems as though the more they lose, the stronger they get." Queen Selenity rubbed her temples as Consular Ananke went on with his report. "Among the deaths are King Hadesu de Meiousei, Queen Larissa and King Proteus de Kaiousei, Queen Titania de Tennousei, Prince Sycorax and Princess Miranda de Mitir, Ki-"

"Please, no more," Selenity said as she stood. Ananke bowed his head.

"My lady," he said, "The army is no longer our concern. These assassins are our most immediate concern. Leda's message must be believed. We have no viable defenses against these assassins. We must assume that these assassins have only Earth, Suisei, Kinsei, and the moon left to visit, and they could attack at any moment. We must consider placing the remaining royal members under swift protection."

"The only other protection is the crystal," Selenity said gravely. Ananke bowed his head.

"We must consider it our only option," he said as he straightened. "Or else, my lady, we should consider using the crystal to send the invaders away from Sol."

"I haven't that kind of power," Selenity said. "Should I attempt to use such an amount of power, I would surely fail."

"Perhaps Queen Trinity Maia could contribute," Ananke suggested. "King Halin, Queen Ovda, and King Ishtar could also contribute to the expelling of these invaders, and with them would go the assassins."

"We do not know for sure," Selenity said. "We do not know the true strength of these assassins, nor whether or not they would be affected by our power." The queen sighed and held her hand up to Ananke, knowing he would speak. "I'll contact Maia and Ovda," she said finally. "Ananke, contact the other Xeons and station yourselves around Serenity. She shall be joined by Mae-Makyuri, Mercury, and the sisters of Kinsei as soon as possible. Marusu is with Maia, so she, too, shall join them."

"As you wish," Ananke said with a generous bow. "Might a make a suggestion first?" Selenity bowed her head in acknowledgement. "Perhaps Queen Trinity Hyourin could also bring aid to this situation." Having said that Ananke bowed again and quickly left. Selenity sighed and strode over to the head of the table. She placed her hands on the arm of her chair as she bowed her head.

"I cannot call upon my mother," she said softly. "She has given so much and is so elderly; I cannot possibly ask this of her."


	9. Wearied with Death and Closest to Harm

**Chapter 9**

The halls of Castle Herumesu were drowned with an eerie quiet that chilled Queen Trinity Maia to her bones. She was elderly, but you could not tell from simply looking at her. Like many rulers Maia was protected by a special power stemming from an heirloom object. However, Maia had little faith in her Agate Orb. The conquest of the assassins known as Kurzai and Lishana had awakened doubt in the strength of the ruling families' powers. Nonetheless, Maia had taken her orb and created a barrier around Castle Herumesu.

The task had wearied the queen who now sat in her study with her head in her hands. She had put up the barrier shortly after her granddaughter Marusu had arrived. While Marusu had said that Mars and Scarlet would follow, Maia still had put up the barrier. She did, however, place a special measure to allow blood relatives through the barrier from the teleport. That was many celestial hours ago, Mars and Scarlet never came and Maia was still weary from her task. So weary, in fact, that her husband had to carry her to their room. While Maia had been able to leave her bed and retire to her study she had little energy to spend with her daughters and granddaughter. The three fell under the care of King Halin, who took up the responsibility with utter delight despite the situation.

"It is not fair!" came a young shout. Maia lifted her head to the broken silence as it echoed in the empty halls. "It is not fair! You cheated!" Maia sighed with a smile before standing and crossing her study in long strides to the door. As she pulled them quietly open she could hear the running clack of little shoes. Maia poked her head out, scaring the spirit out of her youngest daughter. Though, Princess Mercury was just barely the youngest.

The little blue-haired lass slipped at the sudden sight of her mother and fell full on her bottom. Maia looked down to the other end of the hall and saw raven-haired Marusu skidding to a halt. Maia turned back to Mercury and saw her second-youngest daughter coming down the hall after the two. She was walking, however, like a young lady should.

"Shall I question these antics?" Maia asked. "Or shall I close this door and forget I just saw two little ladies running down the hall in an un-lady-like fashion and one of them falling on her bottom?"

"I'm sorry mother," Mercury said as she hurried to her feet. However, she managed to slip again and fall on her stomach.

"We were playing a game, Mother," said the second daughter. She looked nothing like her mother or sister. Rather she had hair the color of sand. It was cut very straight and barely brushed her shoulders. She had deep brown eyes that very much reflected her father. One would never know that she and Mercury were twins, for not only their appearances contradicted but so, too, did their personalities.

"I see," Maia said as Marusu approached. It was understandable. Marusu and Mercury had a habit of cheating. It was a matter of which would accuse the other first. When one was accused, either a fist fight or a chase ensued until someone could catch up with them. "Mae-Makyuri, where is your father?"

The blond-haired princess replied, "He is, or rather was, sleeping. After Marusu and Mercury began fighting, however, he awoke."

"He got caught up in the curtains," Marusu added. "He was very confused upon waking up."

"It was funny!" Mercury exclaimed. Maia cast an irritated eye at her and the little princess silenced.

"I think you three should return to him," the queen said. Mercury and Marusu shuffled their feet. "March!" The two jumped and hurried off. Before Maia could correct them for running, they were gone. Maia shook her head, and then realized that Mae-Makyuri was still standing in front of her. "Yes?"

"Mother, are you well now?" she asked. Maia smiled. While Mae-Makyuri looked like her father, she was very much like herself. Mercury, however, looked like Maia and had the ambition and excitement of Halin.

"Yes, I am better," Maia replied. "However, I am still tired."

"I will make sure Marusu and Mercury stay quiet until it is time for bed," Mae-Makyuri said. She curtsied and turned to follow the path of the other two princesses. Maia returned to her study and sighed a happy sigh. She reflected on the childhood of her oldest children, Larissa, Telesto, and Ares. The memory of them, however, brought grief to her heart. She began to sob as she fell to her knees, clutching her arms as her whole body shook. In under three celestial days' time she had lost three children, a son-in-law, and a great-granddaughter. Maia didn't know how much she could take.

- - - - - -

All quarrels had been settled in time for bed. Marusu slept peacefully. Her peace, however, was due to her lack of information of her father's death. King Halin knew well the details of Ares' death. He knew, too, of Larissa's and Telesto's. The old king, while still appearing mid-aged, was wearied with the grief. He remained calm and silent, however, if only for the sake of his daughters and granddaughter.

"Father?" Halin looked through the darkness of the safe room to Mae-Makyuri, the oldest of his twin daughters. Her brown eyes seemed black, but her sand hair seemed bright. "You should be sleeping," Halin said as he wiped the slowly-forming tears from the corners of her eyes.

"I couldn't sleep," Mae-Makyuri said. "Father, did something happen to Larissa?" Halin's heart nearly stopped. "I feel ill, like something bad has happened to her or Telesto or Ares."

Halin felt a lump in his throat as he picked her up and placed her in his lap. He had always suspected Mae-Makyuri of being born with acute clairvoyance, and now he felt his suspicions were true; there would be no need to lie. "Yes," he said softly and quietly, so as to not wake Mercury or Marusu. "She and Proteus were killed. No, murdered."

"I thought to," Mae-Makyuri said. "Telesto and Ares are gone as well." Halin nodded. "They were killed by the same man, were they not?"

"We suspect the same man, yes," Halin said.

"He has killed others," Mae-Makyuri continued. "I cannot tell who, but he has killed others and he is coming here."

"He will most likely go to other kingdoms first," Halin said in an attempt to make his daughter feel better. "He has so far gone in order. If he comes here, we shall be last, of that I am sure." Mae-Makyuri nodded, never doubting her father's words, and rested her head on his shoulder. Just then, they heard a familiar rustling. Shortly after, Mercury entered their range of sight. She was rubbing her eyes with the back of one hand while her favorite blanket was clutched in the other and thrown over her shoulder.

"Papa, I can't sleep," she whined. "Giant Earth bunnies were chasing me again." Halin smiled and lifted her up into his lap, expertly holding both of his girls in his lap. He only hoped Marusu wouldn't wake up. She failed yet to realize it, but she was getting too big to sit in anyone's lap, let alone with someone else. Or, the king mused, she simply didn't want to give up her youth. Musing this, Halin quickly fell fast asleep. Mercury and Mae-Makyuri followed soon after, and so the three slept peacefully in Halin's favorite old chair.

It was in this way that Kurzai and Lishana found the four. Marusu slept on her stomach in the extra bed while the twins of Suisei were sleeping soundly in their father's lap. Lishana kept her want to eliminate them all to herself while Kurzai silently went for the king. All that was needed was a swift stab to the king's exposed throat for there to be no more king of Suisei. He never awoke up as his blood flowed from his wound over his daughters; neither awoke.

Kurzai and Lishana left quietly. As morning came with its usual quickness to Suisei, the twins' governess arrived at the safe room and was greeted with a sight she was wary to report to the queen. It was a guard that informed Maia, and it was Maia that found Marusu crying with the governess just down the hall from the safe room. Maia entered, and could feel her heart fail at the sight of her husband and last daughters, her husband with a hole in his neck and blood crusted all over the girls. She broke the traditional silence for the dead by crying out in anguish and falling to her knees. Then, her heart fluttered at the annoyed gripe of a certain blue-haired princess.


	10. The Gold Star Turns Black

**Chapter 10**

The events of Suisei didn't reach the kingdom of Kinsei, at least not before the gardener had begun his duties in the sunrisen garden. Unbeknownst to him, Kind Ishtar and Queen Ovda had raised the shield around the castle. If he had wanted to get in, he wouldn't have been able to.

The gardener was loyally tending to the many-colored blooms when a shadow was cast over him. From the shape and time of the day, the gardener expected to see Queen Ovda inspecting the gardens when he turned around. However, he realized far too late that it wasn't. He disintegrated were he was kneeled, nothing remaining of him save for his trowel. Lishana smiled in glee.

"It's been far too long since I used my powers," she said to Kurzai as he stepped behind her.

"We are here for the royals," Kurzai gently reminded her. Lishana shrugged.

"Well, I lured one out for you," she said. She pointed to the nearby stairs that lead from the gardens to the main castle courtyard. Standing at the top was a beautiful princess with a long mane of golden hair. She was pale-faced and still as stone as she stared with cold blue eyes at Lishana and Kurzai. Lishana immediately began to approach the stairs, saying, "Come here little princess."

The princess didn't move. Lishana went to step on the stairs, but was thrown away from them by a blinding light. Lishana cursed and disappeared. She reappeared above the stairs, being thrown away by the same light. "I can't get in," she said irritably.

"They obviously got a warning from Suisei," Kurzai said as he tapped his sword where the shield was. "We won't be getting through it."

"Well then, let's find a way around it like we did with Maia's barrier," said Lishana as she stood and brushed herself off. She looked back up to the stairs where the princess still stood in shock. Then, her shock melted away at the sound of her name,

"Venus!" called her mother from an unseen place. "Venus! Where are you?"

All at once Venus' began to shake in fear. "Mother!" she called. "I'm at the gardens! Mr. Perot is dead!"

"Get inside the barrier!" came the queen's voice.

"I am!" Venus shouted as she backed away from the stairs. As she backed away, the unmistakable image of beauty appeared around the corner of the gardens. Queen Ovda appeared in the gardens with her floor-length golden hair in a messy mass behind her, and her yellow-orange gown in wrinkles. She was seemingly defenseless and far outside of the barrier.

"The radiant Queen Ovda," Kurzai in amusement. "You are not exactly the sight I expected." It took a moment, but Ovda realized her situation. In an instant she clapped her hands together.

"Kinsei Power, Make-Up!" she called out. She was surrounded in many golden ribbons which then almost instantly exploded. The messy queen was now wearing her orange, blue, and yellow senshi uniform. Her long tresses of gold were now in three manageable braids that brushed the ground. "If you are here to kill my husband or daughter, you have made a terrible mistake" she said. "I am no warrior or fighter; I am a wife and a mother and I shall never allow you to harm them."

"That is quite all right," Kurzai said. "I've come with the idea of killing only one, and it would be the easiest one to get to. Senshi or not, your life is over." Having said that, Kurzai lunged at the senshi-queen.

Ovda crossed her arms over her stomach, resting her hands on her hips. She tilted her head to the sky above and shouted, "Golden Illumine!" Her three braids fanned out as beams of light surrounded her and then shot at Kurzai. All but three wrapped around him and suspended him above the ground. The last three positioned themselves at his throat. Ovda turned to Lishana and said, "Surrender yourselves and I shall not harm him."

Lishana clenched her fists. Then, fate joined her side as Princess Binasu ran around the corner, responding to the sound of her mother's voice. Lishana disappeared, reappearing behind Binasu. Then they disappeared, reappearing where Lishana had first stood. Lishana's left hand was firmly holding Binasu's hair behind her back while her right hand was firmly holding the princess' jaw. "Let him go or I shall disintegrate your daughter at I did the gardener," Lishana said. "That one over there has witnessed my strength." Ovda glanced to Venus, who was joined by her blind sister, Yoake.

"Mama, don't let her hurt Binasu!" Venus cried. "I don't want to her died like Mr. Perot!"

"Mama, where is Binasu?" Yoake cried. Ovda turned to look at her oldest daughter. Binasu was pale with fear. The queen had never seen her daughter in such fear, yet here she was. Binasu was nearly a woman and received many proposals a day from suitors from many kingdoms outside of Sol. She was so much a woman, yet at this moment her eyes glowed with the fear of a small child. Ovda was torn apart. One of hand, she could rid the system of one of two assassins that had plagued the system. However, it would be at the price of her oldest daughter. On the other hand, she could save her daughter, but release this untrustworthy pair. The queen closed her eyes, and then sighed in utter defeat. The bands of light disappeared, allowing Kurzai to drop a short distance to his feet. Lishana smiled and gripped the princess' jaw tighter. Venus cried out, and Lishana would have finished the princess anyway. However, Kurzai interrupted.

"Let her go," he said. "A deal is a deal." Lishana growled and squeezed the princess' jaw tightly before whipping her away. Binasu stumbled a bit before regaining her footing and almost flying up the stairs. She nearly tackled her younger sisters and she wrapped her arms protectively around them.

Ovda sighed upon seeing her daughters were all safely behind the shield. Then she gasped shortly as she felt a warm sensation go through her stomach. She looked up and saw Kurzai's cold, mismatched eyes staring down into the queen's fading blue eyes. Ovda closed her eyes as Kurzai ripped the sword from her belly. Her transformation fell apart and she was left in her golden gown as it slowly grew red. The three princesses called out for their mother. Ovda's last words were scratchy at best as she yelled at them to stay behind the barrier. Then her golden world went black.

The princesses felt their own worlds go black as they watched the life leave their mother. Then Kurzai and Lishana disappeared. Venus tried to run out to her mother then, but Binasu held the crying girl back. The youngest fought with her sisters and her tears as they, too, cried their share. Binasu and Venus had no voice left in them, but Yoake had plenty as she screamed for her father.


	11. Of Fear and Roses

**Chapter 11**

Princess Serenity yawned as her boredom announced itself again to the Xeons of Sol. Ananke, the Xeon of justice, had left to check the status of the battles at the front, as well as "other business." Juliet, the Xeon of courage, kept herself closest to Serenity and made herself available for any manner of entertainment for the young princess. Tethys, the Xeon of prudence, had been keeping himself furthest from the princess. He lacked tolerance for children. Mimas, the Xeon of temperance, had stationed herself outside of the door in Ananke's place.

Serenity sat on her knees with her head resting on her folded arms, which in-turn rested on the ledge of her bedroom window. She was bored beyond all senses. "Princess, perhaps you would like to play with your dolls?" Juliet suggested. Serenity sighed and shook her head.

"Then, perhaps we could read a book," Juliet said in a second attempt.

"We've read every single book in a matter of four celestial days," Serenity said. "For that matter, we've re-read every book at least once. We've played with my dolls too many times to count, which includes dressing them, re-styling their hair a number of times, rearranging their outfits, and making new outfits. We've played house, had tea parties, painted over 20 pictures, drew over 15 pictures, sculpted until we ran out of clay, and took naps to fill in space. Juliet, I'm bored out of my mind and I want to go out into the garden!" Serenity jumped up from her seat and ran over to her bed. She threw herself onto it and cocooned herself in her blankets.

Her bed was out of Tethys' sight due to her curtains, but he knew that she had cocooned herself. She threw a fit like this every day and would then fall asleep in her wrappings. Mimas and Juliet, and maybe Tethys, would then have to unwrap her so she wouldn't suffocate while trying not to wake her up.

Frankly, Tethys was tired of all of this.

"I'm sorry," Juliet said to the princess. "We're under your mother's orders to keep her here."

The princess didn't respond, as usual. Tethys sighed out of annoyance and said, "Look, your majesty, we are as tired of this as you. No fit will change our orders or make us defy them. You best face the facts that you are stuck here with us."

"Tethys, please," Juliet pleaded. "You'll only make this worse." Tethys began to reply but was swiftly cut off by the princess' bedroom doors being flung open. Tethys and Juliet reached for their swords, but they saw it was only Ananke and Mimas, both looking flustered. "There is news from the Earthians, come quick," Ananke said as he motioned to the door. Tethys hurried out, anxious to leave. Juliet, however, hesitated.

"You can inform me later," she said. "I shall remain with the princess."

"She shall be fine," said a hurried voice. Coming up behind Ananke and Mimas was the tall burly king of the moon, King Fredi "I shall stay with Serenity. Selenity demands your presence now."

- - - - - -

The queen was a flustered mess. Her normally prim-and-proper silver hair was down and strewn all behind her. She wore not her usual silver gown, but her silver, blue, and red senshi uniform. She was not Queen Selenity now, but rather Sailor Moon. Her title was especially important, as she was the only senshi to be named for her kingdom since the short time of Sailor Earth several years before.

She paced back and forth, her hair bouncing off of her heels in rhythm to her pounding headache. The commonality between the two was pure coincidence, however. She rubbed her temples with her gloved hands just as the doors of the conference room opened. The senshi-queen had expected to see the Xeons, but instead she saw the delicate frame of the queen mother, Queen Trinity Hyourin. Sailor Moon stopped her pacing and stared at her mother, who was supposed to be taking care of Serenity in the absence of the Xeons. Moon took long strides over to her mother, asking, "Mother, why are you not with Serenity?" Hyourin smiled, which was the last thing Moon had expected. She had expected her mother to either frown at the sight of her daughter in the uniform of a senshi or at the fact she was to be placed into hiding with her granddaughter.

"My daughter needs me more than my granddaughter," Hyourin said gently. It was then that Sailor Moon noticed the silver mirror in Hyourin's hands. "Yes, I have foreseen it in my mirror. You shall need me more than your daughter shall. I have sent Fredi in my place."

"But I need him here," Moon argued. "Mother, with all due respect you are no longer ruler of the Moon: I am. It is not proper for you to be at my side in these times. That is my husband's duty."

"Not now," Hyourin said. She shook her head, her four odangos moving loosely with her long lavender hair. Unlike Selenity's or Serenity's, Hyourin's hair was not restricted to two tails of hair. Her hair flowed with no restriction, save for the two odangos she wore on either side of her head.

Moon shook her head. "Mother, I-"

"Your majesties," called the Xeons as they respectably bowed their heads. "We are here." Moon looked to her Xeons, then to her mother, and knew she had lost the battle. She sighed and returned to her place at the head of the table. Hyourin stood behind her seat to the left of her daughter. The Xeons stood behind their respected seats, two on each side. Sailor Moon sighed wearily and began.

"The assassins have struck Earth," she said. "Lady Alamay was killed just after her coronation. Prince Endymion was present, but he was not injured."

"They were silent for many days, those assassins," Mimas said. "Now that they have struck Earth, they shall come here next."

"I believe so," Moon said, "But they have not been as silent as we have been led to believe." Moon bowed her head. "King Halin of Suisei is dead, as is Queen Ovda of Kinsei. I received the transmissions shortly before I received the transmission from King Ordon on Earth."

"They shall still come here next, though," Tethys said.

"We should return to Princess Serenity," Juliet said as she stepped away from her chair. "We should stay with her."

"The assassins could not get through the barrier around Castle Maxwell," Moon said. "They got through the barrier of Castle Herumesu, but they had found an unprotected tunnel. The entire castle is protected; there is no flaw in the barrier. So long as we remain inside the castle, we shall come to no harm."

"The king knows this, yes?" Ananke asked. "The princess has been adamant about remaining inside. The king is likely to take her outside at her wish unless he knows of this." Sailor Moon shook her head.

"He knows not of this," she said, "But he shall use common sense and remain inside. I am confident in that."

"My lady, forgive me for saying this but the king has a weak will toward the princess," Juliet said meekly. "If he does not know this, he is likely to bend to her wishes."

- - - - - -

The king had bent to Serenity's wishes, but they remained in the castle. Fredi had taken Serenity to the conservatory to see the delicate flowers that could only grow within the protection of the conservatory. Serenity was only allowed in with either the king or queen, so this was a very special treat for her. She didn't dare complain about not going outside, for such a treat was rare indeed.

She went first to the sunrisens of Kinsei, ever so gently petting their delicate golden petals. She visited each flower of Kinsei in turn, petting each petal gently, before moving on to the flowers of another planet. She visited the flowers of Earth last, arriving lastly at her favorite flower, the red rose. She loved it the most out of any flower on any planet. It was a beautiful shade of red, vibrant beyond any other flower. It was fuller than any flower, and wasn't the biggest or the smallest. To Serenity, it was sized perfectly. Then, of course, there were the thorns. Serenity knew of no other flower that could protect itself like the red rose of Earth.

Serenity sat and stared at the red rose, much to the amusement of her father. He had tried many times to plant roses that would grow in Serenity's room, but the conditions of her room were far from appropriate for the flower.

Fredi stepped up behind his daughter as she gazed at the rose. "Papa?" Fredi looked down at Serenity, who didn't take her gaze for the beauty before her.

"Yes?" Fredi replied.

"May I go to Earth someday?" Serenity asked. Fredi was completely caught off-guard by Serenity's question.

"Why would you want to?" Fredi asked his daughter. The princess shrugged.

"I've been to all of the kingdoms, save for Earth," she said. "I'd like to see Earth. It must be beautiful there. A planet must be very beautiful to grow such a beautiful flower." Fredi chuckled and patted Serenity's shoulder.

"It is beautiful down there, yes," he said. Then, his soft smile became a hard frown. "However, you are not permitted to descend to its surface."

Serenity spun around and looked up at her father with pleading eyes. "But Papa, why?" she asked.

Fredi sighed and replied, "The Earthians are a very delicate people. They do not think kindly of the other kingdoms, and they think even less of our kingdom. Only the ruling family has any kind of compassion for us, and they must keep all communication between themselves and us out of reach of the rest of Earth's inhabitants."

"Papa, why do they not like us?" the little princess asked as she sat on a bench. Fredi did not join her. Rather, he looked out of one of the conservatory windows.

"The Earthians have no power like we do," the king explained. "A member of the royal family was born with the ability to harness Earth's strength, but the people feared her because of her powers. They went so far as to revolt. To keep the peace, she left Earth. So you see, the Earthians fear us. They believe we see ourselves as superior to them."

"But we don't," Serenity said. "We don't think we're superior! We can be just like them!"

Fredi shook his head. "No, we can't," he said. "We can never be like them, and they can never be like us. That is the way of things throughout the universe, unfortunately. Such a thing cannot be changed." Serenity frowned and looked down to her slippers. Then she popped her head up.

"What if I visit the royals secretly?" she asked optimistically. "No one would know!" Fredi laughed heartily as he went over to her. He picked her up clean off of her feet and hugged her.

"You are a ray of sunshine looking for any and every way to break through the Earth's clouds," the king said. "You just don't give up." He set her back on her feet and took her hand. "Now, I think we should let the flowers rest." Serenity nodded and the two left the conservatory. Before they cleared the door, Serenity looked over her shoulder at the red rose, and for a moment she could have sworn that it waved at her. She looked back forward as her father led her to the right, which was the wrong way back to her room.

"Papa, where are we going?" she asked.

"Well, you wanted to go outside, yes?"


	12. Death's Final Blow

**Chapter 12**

"We've searched the whole wing, my lady," Tethys said as he swiftly approached Sailor Moon and Hyourin. "There is no sign of his majesty or the princess.

"The queen wringed her hangs together. Three out of the four Xeons had reported nothing. Only Mimas remained, and she was swiftly approaching the group.

"A servant said she saw the king and princess going to the conservatory," Mimas reported. "I checked the conservatory but there was no sign of them. They could very well be walking around the castle."

"I pray that they are," the queen said. She was tapping the toe of her red boot impatiently on the stone floor. "All right, I want you four to fan out and search the entire castle. I'll go to the conservatory and see if I can find any indication of where they went. Mother, you'll-""I'll go with you," Hyourin said. "After all, I may see them in my mirror if I go there." The senshi-queen nodded and swiftly began heading toward the conservatory. She was too worried to being arguing with her mother.

As Mimas had reported, the conservatory was empty. Hyourin never once looked into her mirror, which worried her daughter. The two left the conservatory, and as Moon locked the door, she felt a ping in her mind: Someone had just gone through the barrier. "On please, no!" she whispered as she ran to the garden pathway. Hyourin followed after in a casual, unhurried walk. A sad air followed her.

- - - - - -

Serenity was delighted to be able to frolic in the garden. She slipped off her slippers and went running through the tall silver grasses. Fredi followed in a slow manner with her slippers in hand. "Serenity, please stay close to the stairway," he said in a gentle manner. "These are dangerous times, mind you."

"Yes Papa," Serenity said in a sing-song voice. She skipped to the tall grasses around the stairway and disappeared in them. Fredi laughed as she rolled around in a very unladylike manner. He knew he would have to fetch a clean dress for her before her mother or grandmother saw. However, something in the back of his mind kept whispering to him, as though foretelling something to come. It was this whisper that kept him on alert. Then finally, the whisper had bothered him enough.

"All right, let us go back inside," Fredi said as he approached the waving grasses. Serenity poked her head out, and the sight made Fredi smile. There was a long silver blade of grass wrapped around one of her odangos and another wrapped in with one of her tails. Fredi pulled her out of the grass and straightened her up, pulling the grasses away and helping her into her slippers. Then he watched as Serenity made her way up the stairs to the garden path. It was the last thing he would ever see.

Just as Serenity stepped onto the final step she turned back to her father to see if he was coming. She gasped at the sight of a long black sword sticking through the back of her father's throat. Then the sword was thrust to the left, cutting away half of his neck. Serenity, in pure shock, stepped backward into long lanky arms. She looked up and saw a fierce woman that made her scream in terror.

Lishana winced at the high pitch of the princess' cry as she pulled the kicking girl down the stairs, dragging the girl's white dress and slippers through the pool of her father's blood. The king was face-down on the ground in front of the steps.

"May I please shut her up?" Lishana asked irritably.

Kurzai shook his head, saying, "No, we need her as bait to lure out the queen."

"It doesn't look like we needed to wait long," Lishana said as she motioned her head to the stairs. At the top, staring down at the bloody mess that was her husband, the senshi-queen Sailor Moon felt the color melt from her face. She looked up at her screaming daughter and at her captives. "Your majesty," Kurzai said with a courteous bow, "It is an honor to meet the strongest of the rulers."

"Release my daughter!" Moon called out. "Let her go!" Kurzai turned to Lishana and nodded. Lishana, however, refused to release her.

"You come down here first," Lishana said. "Leave your barrier and I shall release your precious siren daughter." Moon debated before stepping onto the first step of the stairs, removing herself from the safety of her shield. "Take two more steps and I'll let the kid go!" Moon sighed and took two more steps down. Lishana, however, did not release Serenity. "Kurzai, what are you waiting for?" she whispered. "Get her!"

Kurzai shook his head. "Release the princess," he said. "Honor the deal." Lishana growled and released the girl. Kurzai knew full well that Lishana would only have done it for him.

Serenity bolted to her mother, leaping into her arms. The senshi-queen embraced her daughter tightly. "Mama, they killed papa!" Serenity cried.

"I know, I know," Moon told her daughter. "Hurry back into the barrier now. Go!" Serenity was reluctant, but she ran up the stairs to the safety beyond the barrier. She didn't go much further, however, for fear for her mother.

Moon looked back down at the aliens below. "Why are you doing this?" she demanded. "Why is you're army invading our peaceful kingdoms? More importantly, why are you murdering the rulers?"

"We are following orders," Kurzai responded as he approached the queen slowly. "We are under orders of our Lady Tyran, and they are orders we cannot stray from for we of Tyran's army have little free will."

"We have free will," Lishana boasted, "But are simply loyal to our lady and we would do anything for her."

Kurzai turned to Lishana and motioned toward her. "Those twin marks on your neck are shared by all of the leaders in Tyran's army," he told her. "I have them, and have had them since I was naught but a child. The marks are Tyran's bite and through that bite she controls us." Kurzai turned back to Sailor Moon as Lishana looked at him with a surprised and almost weakened expression.

"We do this because we have no choice," Kurzai continued. "I have bent my orders to a point. I have murdered no child, save for one on Dosei that was an accident in self defense. It is no excuse, and for her death I am truly sorry."

"Sorry or not, you shall answer to your crimes," Moon said. "If you surrender now, I shall not give either of you the death sentence."

"Death is but a dream I shall never reach," Kurzai said as he took several steps more to Sailor Moon. "You are the most powerful of the rulers. I beg of you, expel our army before it is too late. With each enemy slain our army grows in strength. The more blood that is spilt the more powerful they become. They may only be at Meiousei and Tennousei, but they will soon excel and move on. I beg of you, use your power and expel the invaders back to Maygo!"

"Kurzai!" Lishana cried, "What are you doing? She is the enemy! Why do you ask this of her? You are turning traitor!"

"I am ending the bloodshed," Kurzai said, his proud strong voice now meek and weak. He turned to Lishana and she could barely recognize him, for his eyes were watery with tears. He turned back to the queen and fell to his knees. "I beg of you, while I am in my own mind! End this now!"

"Do it Selenity," said Hyourin. Moon looked up at her mother, who stood with Serenity's head buried into her dress. "All this I have foreseen; every death, every sorrow, and everything to come after this. It was hard to hold myself back, but I have restricted myself from trying to change destiny. You must use the power of your birthright. Use the Imperium Silver Crystal and expel our enemies!"

Moon couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Mother, you foresaw this all?" she asked in disbelief. "Even Fredi's death? Halin's? Ares'? Larissa's? Ovda's? All of them? How could you just let them die?"

"Because this is how it is to be," Hyourin said simply. "Destiny's path cannot be altered." Moon stared pleadingly at her mother. Her stare was interrupted, however, but Hyourin's eyes growing wide and her hand shooting up to point behind her daughter. Moon spun back to Kurzai, who had backed away and was clutching his neck.

Lishana rushed to Kurzai's side pulled his hands away to see if he had been hit by an unseen attack. What she saw, however, drained color and like from her face. The twin marks he shared with her on his neck were a brilliant burning red and were seemingly swollen.

"Tyran has discovered my treachery," Kurzai whispered forcefully. Then he shoved Lishana away and drew his shadow sword. He lunged at Sailor Moon, no longer meek and weak. Moon jumped over him, avoiding him easily. As she flew over him she, too, saw the twin red marks.

"Before it is too late!" Hyourin shouted as Kurzai collided with the stairs and bounced back with ease. He spun to Sailor Moon as she summoned the pink wand with the golden crescent moon. Sitting in the crescent was a perfectly round crystal. Kurzai lunged at the queen whose senshi uniform disappeared and was replaced with her usual gown. Her silver hair was in its usual style and the crescent moon burned brightly on her forehead. All at once a powerful force threw Kurzai backward, slamming him into the steps and cracking them into dust. Lishana screamed as she tried to get to Kurzai. The force of the queen's power, however, was too much.

Lishana looked fearfully at Kurzai as he forced his head up to look back at her. "Lishana hurry to the army!" he shouted. "Return to Maygo and right the wrongs!" Lishana didn't believe in Kurzai's words, but a wave of cowardice forced her to vanish from her place. Kurzai watched her disappear with a smile. "Be safe my love." In that moment, Kurzai lost consciousness and slipped from the world.


	13. How the Mighty Hath Fallen

**Chapter 13**

Queen Selenity shined with a brilliant force that would have blinded anyone not of the Moon Family. Hyourin watched her daughter glow and smiled an old, weary smile. "You are finally a queen," Hyourin whispered. Feeling faint, she knelt to the ground. She would have closed her eyes had Princess Serenity not clasped her arms around her grandmother's neck and held her tightly and fearfully. Hyourin wrapped her arms around Serenity as the Moon Kingdom was enveloped in a brilliant light.

The light reached out from the Moon, enveloping everything in toward the Sun and everything outward. The enemy army at Tennousei could feel themselves being torn in all different directions as Selenity's power beat at them. Despite being ridden with grief, King Caliban put his hands together and pulled forth his power, adding it to Selenity's and sending a message to the other available rulers to please do the same.

On Suisei, Queen Trinity Maia set down her frightened daughters to summon forth the Agate Orb and donate her strength.

On Kinsei, King Ishtar removed the barrier around his castle and sent its power to Selenity.

On Kasei, Queen Eris set aside her grieving to pull together all of her strength to send to Selenity.

On Mokusei, Queen Leda tried to bring forth her power but found herself too weak. Her daughter, Ganymede, then surprised all by calling forth her birthright and sending to all to Selenity, irreversibly.

On Dosei, Queen Helene, Prince Epimetheus, and Princess Dione summoned forth their rights to power, Epimetheus calling upon his right from Maygo, and sent it in one bundle to Selenity.

On Kaiousei, Triton heard the call, being the rightful ruler in his parents' absence. He struggled, and so only sent a meager amount to Queen Selenity.

On Meiousei, Charon sent her power directly toward the invading army.

Selenity could feel the overwhelming power joining her own. It made her faint, but sheer determination pulled it all together, and in a dramatic display the power went as one at the invading army. The army at Tennousei was thrown backward to Meiousei. Then as one, the army, its ruler, and its leaders were thrown across space the great distance to Maygo. Among them was a mournful Lishana.

With the army gone Selenity's might shrank. The energies returned to their respectful owners and Selenity fell weak into the silver grasses of the garden. Hyourin stood as the Xeons finally arrived at the scene. Juliet immediately took Selenity as Hyourin descended the stairs. She carefully and respectfully avoided her deceased son-in-law and walked to her daughter's side. She still lived, she knew, but would be in no shape to do anything for a great many celestial days. Hyourin turned to the Xeons and said, "My daughter needs rest, my son-in-law needs a proper place to await burial, and my granddaughter needs to recuperate from the experience. Juliet, care for Serenity. Ananke, tend to the king. Tethys, contact the other rulers and inquire on their conditions. Mimas, please help me with my daughter. Until she is well, I shall lead in her place."

- - - - - -

The kingdoms mourned the loss of their rulers and of the ruling family members. The remaining members mourned with their people as their buried their husbands, wives, daughters, sons, and great-granddaughters. Maia first laid her husband to rest, and then traveled to Kaiousei to bury her daughter and son-in-law. From there she went to Dosei to bury her son and great-granddaughter. After Dosei she paid her respects at Kasei. There she buried her last son. She spent time with each of the remaining family, and upon returning to Suisei slept for many celestial days.

After Queen Leda had healed from her wounds, she mournfully buried her husband. She then went to Tennousei and remained at her son's side as he buried his wife, daughter, and son-in-law. She then traveled to Meiousei and stayed with her daughter as she buried her husband. She then returned home to her daughters, where Ganymede was feeling the side effects of losing all of her birthright powers.

King Ishtar buried his wife alone. He did not permit his daughters to be with him, nor anyone else.

Selenity slept for an entire celestial week. As she did, her husband's body was kept in preservation. Hyourin knew Selenity would wish to bury her him. Hyourin attended every funeral to show the Moon Kingdom's support. When she wasn't away, she was with her granddaughter. Serenity could not sleep well, and when she did her sleep was restless and unbeneficial. Hyourin knew that none of the other princesses and princes were faring any better and she could only think of one way to help them all. However, she would have to wait for Selenity, and Selenity would have to wait until the meeting with all of the rulers. The meeting was an unspoken arrangement, for each ruler sought punishment for Kurzai Reiko in the murders.

While kingdoms mourned and sought to return to normal life, Kurzai sat in the lowest dungeon cell in the Moon Kingdom. The dungeon cells were rarely ever used, and so smelled of stale air. Kurzai waited anxiously for his punishment. He wanted any punishment, even though nothing could make up for what he had done. He felt himself fortunate that Tyran's influence and power over him could not reach out over several systems. He was enjoying the lack of her voice taunting him in his mind.

It was two celestial weeks after the expelling of the enemy army that Selenity had awoke entirely refreshed in her energy. It tore her apart to bury her husband, but when it was all said and done she mourned not. Now, her mind was on the coming meeting with the other rulers. Kurzai Reiko's fate had to be decided.


	14. The Meeting

**Chapter 14**

All were silent as they filed into the conference room. Selenity, Hyourin, and the Xeon knights Mimas, Tethys, and Ananke were already there, standing at their seats at the end of the table. Fredi's seat remained unoccupied and a long piece of black fabric draped over it. Tied into the fabric near where the head would be was a red Earth rose encased in glass.

The rulers took up their respective seats. Selenity sat in her own besides Fredi's. Hyourin sat to her left, in Juliet's chair, with Mimas to her left. Tethys and Ananke, respectively, sat to the right of Fredi's chair. To Mimas' left were Queen Trinity Maia, King Ishtar, Queen Eris, and Queen Leda. To Ananke's right were Queen Helene, King Caliban, King Triton, and Queen Charon. Triton felt odd, now being king and sitting among his fellow rulers. He glanced over his shoulder at the many extra chairs that were lined up along the wall behind them. Each was draped with black fabric, as King Fredi's was. Each also had its representative flower, encased in glass, tied to the head area as the rose was on Fredi's chair.

"It was Serenity's doing," Hyourin said. Triton snapped his attention back to the table. He saw that the other rulers were looked at the chairs. "Serenity draped each in black fabric and encased each flower in glass so each may be preserved for the respective ruler."

"Why a rose for her father?" Helene asked as she turned to Hyourin.

"Because he and she had been in the conservatory shortly before his death," Selenity said with a note of sadness. "It was in memory of their last time together. Apparently, the red Earth rose is her favorite flower as well."

"I shall thank her," Ishtar said quietly. "When I next see her, I shall thank her greatly." Ishtar never took his eyes from the glass-encased sunrisen on his wife's chair.

"With all due respect, your majesties," Ananke said, "We should focus on the matter at hand."

"I demand Kurzai Reiko receive a painful, everlasting punishment!" Caliban shouted suddenly and he stood up, knocking his chair back. "He must be severely punished for what he did!"

"Please, Caliban, sit down," Hyourin said calmly. "All will come in due time." Caliban sat as Selenity cleared her throat to speak.

"Kurzai was here upon the orders of Lady Tyran," Selenity began. "She overthrew the kingdoms of Maygo, as we all know. After Epimetheus and the other rulers fled Maygo, we lost contact with the planet and lost touch with the events that took place. Therefore, we were entirely unprepared for an assault of this magnitude. We were even more so unprepared for a pair of assassins with the ability to travel through space at great speeds with great strength. There is some fault in ourselves for this tragedy. That fault is our inability to be prepared and our failure to listen to the warnings. Many of us received warnings. I received them from my advisors, Telesto and Helene from theirs. However, not the entire fault is within us. Most lies within Tyran."

"What of Kurzai?" Charon asked. "He was the one who has slain our loved ones."

"Yes," Selenity said, "And so the final fault lies within him. Most goes to his ruler, his controller. I faced Kurzai after Fredi's death. Kurzai begged me to use the Imperium Silver Crystal to drive away the invaders. He spoke of Tyran having an ability to control those whom she bites. There was, indeed, a twin bite upon both his neck and the woman who was with him. After he begged, he became vicious and attacked me. The twin bite was swollen and red. The whole ordeal suggests control to a certain extent."

"We cannot trust a murderer!" Maia exclaimed.

"I had this bite examined," Hyourin said. "All of the evidence suggests certain chemicals and magical properties instituted upon Kurzai's being. To a certain extent, he was controlled by Tyran." Hyourin paused. Since no one spoke, she continued. "He admitted to the murders, saying he was in of his right mind. He was so much so that he limited the murders. He has slain no children, and the one he struck down and killed was, as he said, 'An inexcusable accident in self defense.' He wishes to receive full punishment and take personal responsibility for the murders."

"What of the woman?" Ishtar asked. "My daughters spoke of a woman, as did you."

"Lishana is her name," Selenity said. "She returned to Maygo. She is, however, or no concern. She was a mode of transportations as far as I know."

"She murdered our gardener, Perot," Ishtar said.

"She struck down Neptune," Triton added, finally speaking. "She knocked her out so that Neptune's energy would not hold down Kurzai."

"Uranus claims that the woman pulled her away from Miranda before slaying her," Caliban said bitterly.

"This woman was undoubtedly more involved than we know," Maia added. "She should be punished as well!"

"I shall not begin a campaign through Maygo in search of one woman," Selenity said. "That is final. Let us return to the subject of Kurzai."

"First, may I say something?" Hyourin asked. Selenity nodded. Hyourin stood and said, "We all know the effects these recent events have had on our children and grandchildren. This is not something I would care Serenity to remember, personally. I wish to propose a mass memory alteration for the children." The rulers all looked up at Hyourin in shock.

"Hyourin, do you realize what you propose?" Maia asked. "To alter their memory, while merciful, is very unethical."

"I do not care about ethics," Ishtar said. "Ovda has stores of potions and the like. I know where her memory potions are. I shall use one on my daughters with or without your approval."

"I believe the same would be beneficial to Neptune and Thalassa," Triton said. "Nereid is old enough that I shall allow her to choose for herself."

"You should allow Binasu and Yoake the same," Eris told Ishtar. "I shall give Marusu the option, as she nearly of age. I shall administer a potion to Mars and Scarlet of my own council."

"I believe we can all agree that this is not the sort of thing we wish them to remember," Helene added quietly. "They can always recover the memories when they are older if they choose to remember the true events." Maia looked around the table, and found herself without support. Then, she could feel her own heart pulling her down.

"Mercury shall receive a potion," she decided. "However, I am not sure a potion would be successful on Mae-Makyuri. Ever since the event she has become extremely clairvoyant."

"Mars' powers are limited yet," Eris said. "I worry for Scarlet, as her powers are developing rapidly. It is no doubt due to her father's death."

"I shall offer it to Ganymede," added Leda to the conversation. "I shall give it to Jupiter regardless."

"Pluto, too, shall receive a potion," Charon said with a bow.

"So then, all shall have their memory altered," Selenity said. "I shall not leave Serenity from it all."

"I shall send the needed amount of the potions to each," Ishtar said. "It is only right to make it available." The rulers bowed in acknowledgment to their agreement.

"And now," Selenity said, "Let us turn our conversation to Kurzai Reiko."


	15. Judgement and Action

**Chapter 15**

Kurzai's eyes drooped in excessive wakefulness. He had not slept during his time of imprisonment. For that matter he had not eaten as he should. He chose to practically starve himself in his personal punishment, eating only that which would hold him until the impending trial. Though, he wondered if they might simply leave him to rot and one day cut him off from food, or possible air a well.

His thoughts of being abandoned were dashed when the dungeon door opened full way. Two men stood in the door way, both adorning ornate silver armor. Kurzai knew immediately they were two of the queen's Xeons.

The men entered the cell as two females, obviously the other two Xeons, blocked the doorway. Kurzai held back a smile, knowing this measure was to ensure he didn't try to escape. They clearly didn't know he couldn't do much of anything in his physical and mental condition. Either that or they didn't want to take any chances.

Ananke and Tethys each took Kurzai by an arm and were surprised to see how emancipated he was. They knew he hadn't been eating well, but they hadn't known the extent until now. Tethys was half-expecting the shackles on Kurzai's wrists to fall off as they escorted him from the dungeon.

It was a long and tiring walk up the spiral staircase to the main stairs. From the main stairs the Xeons escorted Kurzai to the court, where criminals from each kingdom were tried. The rulers judged each criminal jointly, even if the criminal had done no offense on one of the other kingdoms.

The rulers were each seated in their place and each, Kurzai noticed, held objects which were clearly the gifts of their kingdoms. To Maia was the Agate Orb. To Ishtar was the Iridescent Eye, a golden stone nearly shaped like an eye. To Eris were the Inferno Casings, strings of frozen fire wrapping her arms in a net. To Leda was the Coppice Shield, an indestructible wooden shield boasting green vines in the design of lightning. To Helene was the Silence Glaive, her scythe, and the Dusk Tome, a thick book filled with spells and writings from every known system in the galaxy. To Caliban was the Space Sword, which he held carefully in full knowledge that it had been used to fell his wife. To Triton was the Torrent Trident, his father's gift, and the Deep Aqua Mirror, his mother's gift. To Charon was the Staff of Time and, more importantly, the Garnet Orb which rested in one hand while the other held the staff is usually rested upon.

Kurzai was positioned in the center of the bottom floor. Overlooking him were the rulers, some of which refused to cast an eye upon him. Tethys and Ananke released Kurzai, only to his have fall to his side as his left leg fell from under him. The two Xeons took him swiftly by the arms and took him up again. This time, he stayed in place. To their surprise, Kurzai apologized 'for being a right mess.'

Selenity sighed and pushed herself up to stand. She forced herself to look upon Kurzai, and in his state she felt a small itch of pity for him. "Kurzai Reiko," she said in a powerful voice. Kurzai looked up at he radiant queen in response. "You have been brought before this court due to the actions you have made against the kingdoms of Sol. The deaths you have caused are to receive at least some form of repayment today. You shall now hear the names of those rulers and their families of whom you have so ruthlessly murdered."

Selenity looked down to her left to Queen Charon. Charon stood and glared down at Kurzai with an unending anger. "Your first victim, not counting the guards whom you killed to get to my daughter," Charon began, "Was King Hadesu of Meiousei, born a prince of Palmina."

Charon sat as Triton stood, staring down at Kurzai as he lost his strength. "Your third victim, not counting the guards murdered by the safe room, was King Proteus of Kaiousei, born a prince of Mitir," Triton said in a shaking and forced voice. "Your third victim was Queen Larissa of Kaiousei, born a princess of Suisei." Triton hurriedly sat back down. His haste was covered, however, by Caliban's jump from his seat.

"You shall answer today to the deaths of your fourth, fifth, and sixth victims," Caliban spat. "Your fourth victim was Queen Titania of Tennousei, born a princess of Suta. Your fifth victim was Prince Sycorax of the Mitir Kingdom and your sixth victim was Princess Miranda of Tennousei." Caliban slowly sat down as Helene stood to speak.

"You shall answer, today, to the murders of your seventh and eighth victims," the queen said in her usual quiet voice. "Your seventh victim was King Telesto of Dosei, born a prince of Suisei. Your eighth victim was the Princess Pandora of Maygo."

"No!" Kurzai shouted. The rulers looked down at him in surprise. "I did not harm Princess Pandora!" he objected. "My loyalty connections to Maygo would have prevented it. Even if I held no loyalty to her family, those in the service of Maygo are incapable of harming those of the bloodlines of the Maygo royal families!"

"Then how is it that I buried my granddaughter with my youngest daughter at my side?" Helene shouted in rage. "You admitted to killing a princess of Dosei!"

"I did!" Kurzai called back. "Pandora is a princess of Maygo! It was Princess Saturn that attacked me and in a blind rage I attacked back! I struck her with the hilt of my sword and then lamented her death!"

"You were obviously mistaken!" Helene cried. "Pandora and Saturn were similar in appearance, nearly twins. You were obviously mistaken."

"No," Kurzai said in a quieter voice. "Pandora disappeared through the wall, trapping Lishana's fingers in a panel. Saturn was upon my back, and it was she I struck down. I remember... Yes, similar to Pandora she was, but Saturn's hair was longer and in a braid! Pandora wasn't even in the room when we left." At this Kurzai lost his voice. Yet he continued to shake his head as he held it in his hands.

"You claim it was Saturn who lay dead when you left and Pandora was nowhere to be seen," Helene said softly, "And yet it was Pandora who lay cold in the control room with Saturn unconscious and covered in Pandora's blood and it was Pandora who was buried. You insult her memory further by saying such things." Having said her peace Helene sat back down. Kurzai looked pleadingly up at her. While Helene refused to look back, many of the other rulers could say that Kurzai's eyes showed no lie. This worried the rulers greatly.

Things calmed and Leda stood to say her part. "Today you shall answer to the death of your ninth victim," she said. "You shall answer to the murder of King Pasiphae of Mokusei, born a prince of Jutaro."

Leda sat and Eris stood. The frozen flames on her arms glowed as they reflected her inner emotions. "Today in this court you shall answer to the murder of your tenth victim," she said in a fierce voice. "You shall answer to the murder of King Ares of Kasei, born a prince of Suisei."

Maia rose slowly as she felt age creeping up and down her bones. "For the death of your eleventh victim you shall answer to us," she said. "The death of King Halin of Suisei, born a prince of Sandor, shall be avenged."

Ishtar had no problem coming to his feet, rising in almost the same manner Caliban had. "You shall soon answer to the murder of your twelfth victim, Queen Ovda of Kinsei, born a princess of Sandor." Ishtar's voice dripped with venom and was an aggressive and certain promise more so than a threat.

At last Selenity rose. "I speak now in place of King Ordon of the kingdom of Earth," she said. "You shall answer to the death of Queen Alamay, born a lady of the upper kingdoms of Earth." She bowed her head respectfully. Then she brought it back up and spoke again. "Now I speak for the Kingdom of the Moon. You shall today, in this court, answer to the murder of King Fredi. To add to the charges brought forth I shall add the revolting and malevolent acts you have cast upon the children of the royal families. As already stated, you shall also answer to the deaths of the many guards and innocents felled by your sword or by the hand of the woman known as Lishana."

The queen bowed her head again and was this time joined by the other rulers as they stood. "You have been found guilty of these acts against Sol," Queen Charon said as she lifted her head.

"Your fate has been decided," King Caliban added as he lifted his own head.

King Triton and Queen Helene lifted their heads silently. On the other side of the seating arch Queen Trinity Maia lifted her head as well in silence. King Ishtar added, "From this day forth you shall no longer harm those born of the royal bloodlines of Sol." He lifted his head.

"Your life is now tied to Sol in unending service," Queen Eris said before she lifted her head.

"Even should you leave Sol you shall ever feel the pulse of our system in your veins," Queen Leda said. She lifted her head in unison with Queen Selenity. Selenity now held the Moon Scepter. Following her lead, each of the rulers lifted their gifts. Charon cupped the Garnet Orb in her hands in the same manner Maia held her Agate Orb. Ishtar rested the Iridescent Eye upon his left palm with his right hand rested below. Triton rested the Deep Aqua Mirror upon his seat as he gripped the Torrent Trident in the same way Caliban gripped the Space Sword. Leda held the Coppice Shield in front of her chest as Eris crossed her arms, the two nets of frozen flame just barely brushing each other. Selenity held her scepter in front of her chest, her face basking in the light that spilled from the crystal. Lastly was Helene. She held the Dusk Tome open across her arms, the Silence Glaive resting propped up on the wall behind her.

Kurzai fearfully looked at each of the rulers as their all, save for Helene, pointed their gifts toward him. Then in a dark and thundering voice came incoherent words that Helene read from the Dusk Tome. From the book came ribbons of violet energy that dispersed and wrapped around each of the gifts.

"Kaiousei, I call upon my birthright!"

"Tennousei, I call upon by birthright!"

"Meiousei, I call upon my birthright!"

"Mokusei, I call upon my marriage right!"

"Kasei, I call upon my marriage right!"

"Kinsei, I call upon my birthright!"

"Suisei, I call upon my birthright!"

Helene continued to chant incoherent words from her book as the light from the Imperium Silver Crystal outshone the other gifts. "Moon Imperial Silver Twilight!" the moon queen shouted. All at once beams of light left the gifts and tore at Kurzai, wrapping around him and piercing his body, even lifting him from the ground. The rulers were too focused into their powers to see what was happening to Kurzai, but the four Xeons could see the transformation clearly. They hadn't known beforehand what was to happen and could not yet guess. To say the least, however, the sheer strength being used was appalling.

Then suddenly the lights became too bright to bear. As the Xeons shielded their eyes they could hear Helene's chants come to a halt. Then came her thundering voice again after a brief pause. "Dosei, I call upon my marriage right!"


	16. Results

**Chapter 16**

The explosion was a magnificent sight of color and light, yet no sound did it make. No sound was evident at all, as even Juliet's shout of surprise was deafened. The light faded and the Xeons could see the result of the combined energies of the rulers. The four knights almost didn't think they were seeing correctly.

Kurzai was on the ground, on his knees and hunched forward. His back was to them and he breathed heavily, his entire frame shaking with each ragged breath. The Xeons first noticed his shoulders, for no longer were they the broad shoulders of a proud man, but dainty and delicate they were. Kurzai's clothes were loose, hanging from his body. Then Kurzai lifted his head, his bi-colored eyes staring to the ceiling. In this gesture the Xeons saw how thin Kurzai's neck had become and how small his head seemed. The Xeons worried, for some reason unknown to them, that the rulers had emancipated him to the point of near death. Then Kurzai turned to the knights and they saw what had truly become of the warrior assassin.

Kurzai's well-built jaw and rough face were no longer in existence. His bold bi-colored eyes were no longer set in harsh sockets. No, Kurzai's eyes were softer and angled delicately. His rough skin was smooth and fair and his face was round and small. Kurzai Reiko the man was now a woman, and a pitiful sight she was.

The Xeons glanced up to the rulers, who were all pitiful sights themselves. Some were just barely holding themselves up on the ledge before them. Others were seated on their chairs with their heads back and breathing heavily. Helene was among the three who were. She looked strangely peaceful and looked as though she would fall asleep. Triton was resting full on the ledge, his face to the floor of the court and wheezing with every breath. This event had been a hard trial upon him. As for Maia, she was nowhere to be seen.

Selenity seemed to be the only one who was only mildly effected. This was no doubt due to her prior exercise with her powers. Unlike Selenity, the others rulers had little or no experience with their in-born or marriage-born powers.

Selenity stood tall and looked to her fellow rulers. She looked first to Helene on her left and to the rulers of the outer kingdoms. She motioned to Triton and Charon to sit, and they did so joyously. Selenity then looked to her right to the rulers of the inner kingdoms. Leda was stubbornly trying to stand, as was Ishtar. Selenity begged them to sit, but neither did. Then Selenity noticed how Eris was missing from her seat. She found the queen of Kasei as Maia's side. Maia was on the floor in front of her seat, her eyes fluttering in an attempt to remain open. Eris looked back at Selenity and said, "She shall be all right. She needs rest. After all, she's not as young as the rest of us." The inner kingdoms rulers each chuckled at this. Even Maia and Selenity smiled. Selenity's smile, however, did not last. She turned back down to Kurzai, who was flanked by Juliet and Mimas. Selenity was surprised to see them worry as they were.

"From this day forth, the name of Kurzai you shall not bear," Selenity said. "Henceforth, the name of Kione shall you bear, for in the Earthian language it means you come from nowhere. For this day forth from nowhere you shall be." Juliet and Mimas gingerly lifted the woman, now named Kione, to her feet. To their surprise the shackles upon her wrists fell to the floor with a horrid racket.

"Shall we escort him- _her _to the dungeon?" Ananke asked from his place behind the women.

"No," Selenity said. "No. Juliet and Mimas, please escort her to the room I asked you to prepare earlier this morn. That shall be her room from now on. Please tend to her, and do not worry yourself with posting guard around her. Kione shall now be a lady in my court."

- - - - - -

Selenity's decision had appalled many of the rulers. They were the rulers who were yet unsatisfied with Kurzai's punishment. There was nothing they could do, however. None of them, Caliban least of all, had the strength to carry out their desired punishment: death to the woman once known as Kurzai. They had to settle for Selenity's final word.

The other rulers, however, were satisfied with what had been done. In fact, they considered Kurzai entirely dead. To them, Kurzai had been killed that day, and from his ashes and the power of the rulers came the exotic Kione, lady of Mare Tranquillitatis. Some rulers even helped Selenity in creating a story to be told of Kione. It was Eris who claimed the most in creating Kione.

Eris told many that she had seen a vision of one last descendent from the former kingdom of Tranquillitatis. She refused, however, to divulge curiosities as to what had truly happened to the first kingdom of the Moon, the first kingdom established by Queen Trinity Hyourin. She claimed no one could truly know. In truth, only Hyourin knew what had happened to the first kingdom she had established and she was very tight-lipped about it.

Hyourin added to the story by "confirming" Eris' "vision" of Kione's past. Hyourin claimed that the most telling feature of Kione was her eyes and how they were of two colors, indicating being of two worlds. Most who knew their history believed Hyourin's explanation, since Hyourin's first kingdom was a collection of people who lived on Earth and who had come with Hyourin from the Trinity System.

Finally Maia and Ishtar added to Kione's tale by saying she had been raised first on Suisei, but the death of her parents through illness sent her to Kinsei while still a child. No one knew what her name was or where she had come from, and so she had received the name of Kione and was raised by a couple from a lower class.

Selenity finalized Kione' story by saying that her appearance had mystified people and so her past was sought out. Selenity claimed that in order to return her identity, origin, and birthright she gave Kione her position as a lady.

Now the woman known as Kione had a past and had a meaning. Her "past," however, did not make her any more pleasant or sociable. Rather, Kione preferred to act as though she were invisible. She picked up quickly on the etiquettes of being a lady and displayed them appropriately. Yet, she made no attempt at conversation when drawn into social groups like the rest of the ladies of Selenity's court. She meandered about the room, walking almost as one would believe a ghost would. During the normal hours of a day one would find her sitting on a bench in the first minor garden. This minor garden was situated next to the main entrance of the castle and lacked the beauty and brilliance of its fellow minor gardens. Selenity believed this was why Kione preferred it above the others.


	17. Curiousity

**Chapter 17**

Very few sought out Kione during the day, but those who did had no memory of who she had previously been. These individuals were the princesses and princes of the inner and outer kingdoms. They were curious about the silver-haired woman and would often ask about her. Rather, they would ask two questions of her. "Why is she so quiet? Why is she so sad?"

Caliban forbid his twin son and daughter from seeking her out. Umbriel obeyed out of fear that rebellious actions might prevent him from succeeding his father for the throne. Ariel, however, furiously fought with her father and disobeyed him quite profusely. Caliban, however, did not worry over Ariel's disobedience as much as he worried over Uranus' disobedience. Umbriel and Ariel had not witnessed the murders as Uranus did, and even though Uranus had received a memory potion Caliban worried that exposure to elements of the event, such as the hallway where the even had taken place, might stir the memories. Caliban had sealed that portion of the hallway, but he was unable to do so with Kione.

However, Uranus had no side effects from her encounters with Kione. Ariel, being the older of the two girls and being technically Uranus' aunt, would encourage Uranus to accompany her to the Moon to visit Kione. Kione would never speak, but would humor the girls by playing cards with them. They could tell, however, that their presence made Kione incredibly uncomfortable. In fact, in their final visit Uranus was sporting short hair. Their visit was cut short by Kione becoming unstable and crying rather silent tears from the expression upon her face.

Ariel and Uranus were not the only ones enjoying Kione's silent company. Binasu, Yoake, and Venus would pay Kione regular visits. Binasu and Yoake remembered the events of their mother's death clearly, but they shared their father's belief and considered Kurzai dead. Therefore to them, Kione was a completely different person with no connection whatsoever to the Butcher of Sol. The favorite activity of the three princesses' was meandering through the gardens. Out of respect for the deceased king of the Moon, however, they never wandered through the garden of the silver grasses. The three saw Kione as a silent consular, one with whom you could speak with and received only a confirming and relieving nod in return. Venus, however, did not speak to Kione of serious matters as Binasu and Yoake did.

The two older princesses spoke with Kione of marriage proposals that neither wished to consider. Neither desired marriage, and sought from Kione a way to remove themselves from the duties of marriage. They spoke with Kione on this subject many times before Kione finally spoke to them in the softest and meekest voice either had ever heard. "With the death of your mother there is no senshi of Sandor," Kione told them. "As it is, there are few senshi to Suta. If you two were to claim the senshi rights of those systems, you would be exempt from marriage responsibility."

"They are so far away," Binasu said. "We would be unable to see out father and sister as often as we would like. Yet, I have always wished to be a senshi."

"Queen Eris foresaw Venus in calling upon the powers of Kinsei," Yoake said. "Perhaps the destiny of senshi lies for us in the planets of our parents. Venus is to be the leader of the senshi who protect the princess of the Moon. Perhaps we, too, would be leaders of our own senshi."

"I have heard the one senshi of Suta, Sailor Dusk, is as blind as you," Binasu said in a manner meaning no offense. "Her powers prevail over the night. Your display of powers at your coming-of-age ceremony showed you to be adept in powers over the dawn. It could be a sign that Suta is to be your stronghold."

"You summoned the Koumira at your coming-of-age ceremony," Yoake added. "You summoned it right out of mother's hands. Perhaps it is a sign that you are to return it to Sandor and be a part of a team of senshi as mother once was."

"Then this is our solution," Binasu declared. With her fist clenched in victory she turned to Kione and curtsied in the middle of the garden path. "I thank you greatly for your help Lady Kione," she said in a polite manner. "We sought your counsel many a time and now you have presented us with a plan that may well lead us to our calling destinies. Now me must go to our father and stand our ground should it be necessary."

Kione bowed in return as Binasu and Yoake fled down the garden path, in a rushing hurry to return to their father. As for Kione, she felt guilty that her solution would separate a family further, and yet she felt as though it had been her fate to deliver such a solution. She sighed and turned to follow her steps back down the path, knowing full well that another pair of princesses would be arriving.

Like clockwork were the visits of the twins of Suisei. Maia's concerns for Mae-Makyuri had been correct, for the young princess' clairvoyance had made the potion pointless. After the effects of the potion had set in Mae-Makyuri inadvertently saw into her mother's straying thoughts and had undone the effects of the potion. Nonetheless, Mae-Makyuri accompanied her sister in visiting Kione. At first Mercury spent her time taunting Kione. She found it quite fun to mock the silent giant with silver hair. Mercury eventually grew bored, however. Each time she mocked Kione, Mae-Makyuri would scold her sister, and then Maia would scold the blue-haired princess upon returning home. It was in visiting Kione that Mercury learned two important skills: patience and strategy.

Mae-Makyuri had become attached to an Earthian game known as chess. Mae-Makyuri loved it for its need for strategy and wit. She found herself to be quite good. She could defeat both her mother and sister, though it was no challenge to defeat Mercury. Kione, however, was a different story. Mae-Makyuri could not defeat Kione. Mercury couldn't defeat her either, until one game where Mercury saw a move that crippled Kione. Mae-Makyuri hadn't seen it, and Kione clearly had not seen it. With that one move, the tables were turned and Mercury defeated Kione. After that, Mercury made a conscious effort to win, and because of it became more patience in everything she did. She would sit still for long periods of time, and her mother even caught her daughter in her study, reading the book Maia had been reading earlier in the day. Mercury had been courteous and saved her mother's place, and but finished it before her mother did. Maia and Mae-Makyuri contributed Mercury's change to Kione's unconscious encouragement and both thanked the unsuspecting Kione.

While Eris was among those who liked Kione, Marusu and Scarlet did not share their mother's opinion. They hated Kione and saw her as Kurzai in merely a disguise. They could not share their view with Mars, however, because any mention to the true events of their father's death might undo the effects of the memory potion. This being the case, Marusu and Scarlet were unable to sway the middle sister to keep her distance from Kione. Marusu would often visit Kione with Princess Jupiter of Mokusei, who would go in disobedience of her mother. Leda and Ganymede were unable to keep the youngest Mokusei princess tethered to their castle, Castle Callisto, which was nestled with the main portion of their kingdom within the largest crater of the second-largest satellite of Mokusei.

Despite her warrior upbringing, Jupiter was one of the more ladylike of the outer system princesses. Mars was the same, being the most ladylike of the inner system princesses. She shared her title only with Yoake of Kinsei. This being the case of the two princesses, they spent their time with Kione either having tea and cake or playing Kutwat, the Kasei equivalent of Earth's tennis. Mars claimed Kutwat was much more "civilized" than Earth's "barbaric" game of tennis. Jupiter failed to see any differences, but didn't argue it with Mars.

Kione's coordination in the game was poor and the two princesses would win unless Kione placed a lucky shot. Despite losing so often to two princesses so young, Kione was a good sport about it. In fact, she would smile on some occasions, often surprising the princesses who would then surprise others by saying Kione had smiled. Despite her smiles, Kione never spoke to the two princesses.

Thalassa and Neptune never met Kione out of Nereid's insistence. Triton, far too busy with running a kingdom, did not argue the matter with her. In truth, he didn't have an opinion on Kione and kept himself purposefully busy in order to be unable to think about her. Nereid was somewhat hypocritical about this, however. While she insisted Neptune and Thalassa keep away from Kione, Nereid would go and visit Kione. Her visits, however, had a sour undertone.

Nereid hated Kurzai for what he had done. To her, it was logical to also hate Kione for Nereid saw both as the same person. However, she found that they were not the same, and not simply in physical appearance. Kione was a completely different person and Nereid attributed it to the drastic change of becoming a woman. She learned from a somber Ishtar, however, that the rulers had altered Kione's personality and mentality in the transformation in order to bury and essentially destroy Kurzai Reiko. Learning this worried Nereid, and not just because she knew a least part of the extent of the powers possessed by the rulers. Nereid wanted to learn how to fight, and she worried that Kione might not know anymore.

However, Kione remembered as though the knowledge had never left. Nereid had full mind to take advantage of Kione's submissive nature, but found Kione very resistant to teaching Nereid. Eventually, Nereid won. This was only after Kione insisted that Nereid pass on her knowledge of fighting to future generations when needed. Nereid promised, but insisted that Kione would be there to provide it first-hand.

Kione taught Nereid relentlessly, using example rather than straight-out lessons. In a way, Nereid benefited more from this way of teaching. Nereid was careful when she brought Kione to Kaiousei, being cautious in order to prevent Neptune from running into them. Then one day, Kione stopped the lesson after a duel and refused to continue. She said, "There is no more I can teach you. The rest is up to you and shall depend on your need." Nereid fought this, but gave in after seeing that Kione might be right. As Nereid was carefully escorting Kione back to the teleport, fate twisted on them.

As they were nearly upon the teleport Triton came around the corner and ran right into Kione. Nereid grabbed Kione's arm and prevented her from falling entirely. Triton, however, was left to fall flat onto the floor. He lost his breath when he was suddenly grabbed by his shoulders and heaved up to his feet. He looked with surprise to the one who had lifted him to his feet, and could feel his heart stop when his azure eyes looked dead into the green and brown eyes of Kione. The first thing he saw in their depths was Kurzai Reiko looking back at him and mocking him. Then Triton was snapped from the image by four words spoken with the softest, gentlest voice he had ever heard.

"I apologize, your majesty," Kione said with a curtsy and a bowed head. Triton shook his head to regain his footing. This action confused his sister. Kione straightened again and turned to Nereid. "If it is all right, I shall continue to the teleport on my own." Nereid nodded, still confused with her brother, and Kione left. As soon as she was gone, Nereid looked to her brother with an expression demanding an explanation. Triton, however, looked away and continued on his way down the hall. Nereid had a feeling she wouldn't get her explanation.


	18. An End Before a Beginning

**Chapter 18**

It is needless to say that life went on for those in the Sol system. Everyone came to settle back into their routines. Certain princesses badgered their father on days to come, for these two princesses wished to follow the path of the senshi. They would receive their wishes, and would go on to different systems. They would never see Sol again. Neither would three other princesses who would follow the same path out of Sol. Kione, however, would not see the glory these princesses left with, for of everyone in the Sol system Kione was the only one whose life did not go on.

It would be that Kione would turn to King Caliban for help, and would receive from him this one act of mercy.

The day had begun as one normally would on Tennousei. Caliban began his rounds as usual, seeing the process of the schooling for his children and grandchild first above all other things before making his way to find breakfast. He always insisted on finding his own breakfast.

As the king made his way around the garden to the main building he saw a sight he never hoped to see: Kione was walking right toward him. The king began to walk in another direction, but Kione called to him.

"Your majesty, a moment of your time!" she called. Caliban reluctantly stopped and turned to her. She seemed flustered, as though incredibly stressed. "Your majesty, I beg mercy of you. I beg of you to send me away with your power over space. Please, I beg of you."

Caliban saw this as his chance, and would not turn down such an opportunity. Before he had his breakfast the king had sent the woman known as Kione away. He knew he would receive scorn from his fellow rulers, but he cared not. The Butcher of Sol was gone at last. Seeing her light disappear into the dark sky made the king smile as he had not smiled since before the death of his wife.

Caliban's final words would haunt Kione from then on as greatly as her past: "From here on out, not one but another. Until the end of days, let the mirror speak and be heard, show and be seen. Now on until the end of days…" They were the final words in Helene's spell, words not meant to be spoken outside of their home language. They would haunt Caliban as well, but he could shrug them off.

Kione's lights flashed through space before its energy was finally spent and she fell to the green groves of a distant system. There, a whole new chapter to her life would begin as the countess of the Daichi Plains, Reiko deLon.


End file.
